Welterweights
NR | Ramazan Emeev (20-4, 5-1 UFC) vs. NR | Danny Roberts (17-5, 6-4 UFC)Emeev is in an interesting spot, as he is not a particularly exciting fighter. The Russian is a fairly standard but quite effective wall-and-stall stylist—an approach that earned him his first three wins in the UFC without much trouble. However, that neutralizing style hit a clear ceiling against Anthony Rocco Martin in 2019, and Emeev has struggled to adjust since. A win over Niklas Stolze felt closer than it needed to be, and the activity-heavy approach of David Zawada was enough to take Emeev to a split decision. At 34 years old and over a decade into his career, Emeev is unlikely to change, but it is fascinating to see him try to adapt with a style that is increasingly at the point of diminishing returns, both for himself and for this era of the sport. Roberts is an intriguing next test, as the Englishman has struggled to coalesce his talents into any sort of consistent success. Roberts is a solid boxer with some knockout power and some slick skills on the mat, but for all of that well-roundedness, “Hot Chocolate” can easily be taken out of his game. He tends to plant when he throws, leaving himself open for some powerful counters that he cannot quite absorb, and he can get lost or controlled in grappling exchanges. The UFC has not done him many favors in his matchmaking, either, as Roberts has consistently fought some combination of durable and aggressive fighters that make him look his worst. That makes for a nice change of pace here against Emeev. While Emeev can crack in his own right, his low volume should give Roberts a canvas with which to work if he looks to adopt a more elusive game plan. The worry is that Roberts is now at the point where he will try to be well-rounded to a fault, as any attempts to mix things up and wrestle will quickly get him shut down and controlled. With that said, this may finally be a fight where Roberts can stay consistently in his comfort zone. It is hard to fall in love with Emeev’s neutralizing approach, so his adversary is worth the flier. The pick is Roberts via decision.
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