Preview: UFC Fight Night 177 ‘Waterson vs. Hill’ Main Card

Light Heavyweights

Mike Rodriguez (11-4) vs. Ed Herman (25-14)

ODDS: Rodriguez (-255), Herman (+215)

Believe it or not, Herman is on his first winning streak since 2012. Herman has been a reliable veteran for years, but his relatively recent move to light heavyweight has been an absolute pleasure to watch, if only for the contrast with everything around him. In a division filled with flawed athletes, Herman’s absolutely glacial approach has somehow given him some new life, with 2019 serving as a banner year after wins over Patrick Cummins and Khadis Ibragimov, the latter of which was an amusing instance of a talented prospect imploding while trying to get “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 3 finalist out of there. “Short Fuse” looks to make it three in a row against Rodriguez, who takes this fight just three weeks after knocking out Marcin Prachnio. That is basically the entirety of the Rodriguez experience. He can be a pleasure to watch when he gets his kickboxing game going and is capable of a quick finish, but he has also gotten lamped himself and has issues when opponents can survive and drag him into deeper waters. That sets up a clear dynamic: Either Rodriguez takes care of business quickly, or Herman takes over and dispatches another relative up-and-comer. Somehow, Herman is the more reliable fighter, particularly since Rodriguez should be willing to engage in his overlooked and dangerous clinch game. The pick is Herman via second-round stoppage.

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