The Ultimate Fighting Championship on Saturday touches down in Copenhagen, Denmark, with UFC Fight Night 160 -- an event headlined by a middleweight showdown between Jack Hermansson and Jared Cannonier. Stakes are high across the board.
WHO HAS THE MOST TO GAIN?
Jared Cannonier: With multiple Top 10 mainstays from the UFC’s middleweight division headed up to light heavyweight, Cannonier views the 185-pound weight class as wide open and there for the taking. He gets the biggest opportunity of his career, with his first main-event assignment against Hermansson. Since his drop to middleweight, Cannonier has put together back-to-back finishes and another over Hermansson would plant him firmly in the title race. Cannonier combines heavy hands with a solid defensive wrestling game and will undoubtedly be looking to land knockout blows early and often. This fight has potential to be Cannonier’s coming-out party if he fights to his strengths.
Gilbert Burns: Since moving to the welterweight division, Burns has taken advantage of short-notice opportunities, first against Alexey Kunchenko and now against Gunnar Nelson. The bout could establish the former Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion as a person of interest at 170 pounds. It has the makings of a grappler’s delight. However, Burns has never been one to shy away from striking exchanges, where his finishing power often shines through. Burns is well-rounded and should look to mix his grappling and striking evenly, this denying his opponent’s bid to settle into his game plan. A win would likely vault him into the Top 15 at welterweight.
Khalil Rountree: Rountree at the start of 2019 made the move to Thailand to hone his striking skills at Tiger Muy Thai, and the decision has payed dividends thus far. He put on a striking masterclass against Eryk Anders at UFC 236 in April and now looks to capitalize on the momentum in a striker-versus-striker showdown with Ion Cutelaba. Rountree will look to establish his thunderous leg kick early on and would be wise not to allow his counterpart’s aggression to compromise his composure. Rountree seems to be coming into his own, and a win here would move “The Ultimate Fighter” alum further up the 205-pound ladder.
WHO HAS THE MOST TO LOSE?
Jack Hermansson: Sitting pretty inside the middleweight division’s Top 5 rankings, Hermansson has made it clear that he believes a win over Cannonier puts him in title shot territory. He has rattled off four consecutive victories, finishing three of them, and couples a powerful standup attack with an opportunistic submission game that features an unorthodox guillotine choke. Since signing with the UFC in 2016, Hermansson has only gone the distance twice. Expect him to look to engage in grappling exchanges with Cannonier early and often, as he looks to wear away at the arms of “The Killa Gorilla” and take away the explosion of his opponent’s dangerous punches. A win here puts Hermansson in better position than almost any contender in the middleweight division. Strange as it may seem, a title shot just may be on the horizon for “The Joker.”
Gunnar Nelson: It has been a mixed bag for Nelson lately, and after dropping two of his last three contests, he was kicked out of the Top 15 at welterweight. If he ever plans on returning to the form that made him a fringe contender, he must take advantage of an opponent who comes in on short notice. Can he wear on burns and drag their bout into the later frames? Nelson has a phenomenal grappling attack, as does his counterpart, but the size advantage may prove to be his saving grace. Look for “Gunni” to use his karate-based standup attack to capitalize on Burns’ aggression and turn counterstrikes into takedowns. Nelson has a lot riding on this fight.
Ovince St. Preux: Coming up short in three of his last four outings, St. Preux heads to Denmark with his back against the wall -- a cornered animal potentially on the chopping block. While “OSP” is a decent striker in his own right, his best chance for success in this bout is relying on the takedown, forcing grappling exchanges with Michal Oleksiejczuk and taking the heavy-handed polish striker out of his comfort zone. St. Preux has a wide arsenal of submission attacks, namely an effective shoulder choke that he should look to set up as often as possible. With his job on the line, it will be interesting to see how St. Preux responds when the heat is on.