The X Factor: For a guy who has serviceable submissions and the wrestling to back it up, Buchholz has the unhealthy habit of getting into one exchange too many on the feet. Like cigarettes and White Castle, getting into fistfights with superior strikers will get you more pain than the temporary thrill it’s worth. If I’m in Buchholz’s corner, I’m giving him a Rorschach test before the fight to make sure his head is on straight enough to keep from jumping right into Etim’s wheelhouse.
The Bottom Line: Thus far, Etim’s undoing has come against superior wrestlers who can run the steamroller routine on him. Buchholz may be a better wrestler, but he relies on submissions far more than ground control and that means he’ll likely get into a mat battle with the surprisingly slick guard of Etim. Expect Buchholz to get behind on the cards trying to play “Street Fighter” with Etim and stay there by stalemating with him on the mat.