Preview: UFC on ESPN 28 ‘Hall vs. Strickland’

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC, PFL and “The Ultimate Fighter” live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

Welterweights

NR | Niklas Stolze (12-4, 0-1 UFC) vs. NR | Jared Gooden (17-6, 0-2 UFC)

ODDS: Stolze (-200), Gooden (+165)

Gooden’s UFC debut opposite Alan Jouban in November was a banger of a bout, as well as a solid example of the newcomer’s strengths and weaknesses. “Nite Train” has an impressive frame for a welterweight and some knockout power, but he also has a stiff and straight-ahead style that leaves him quite hittable. The end result? Gooden is dangerous but can easily get thrown off his game, whether it is by his opponents’ output or their ability to take him down. After losses to Jouban and Abubakar Nurmagomedov, Gooden looks for his first UFC win against Germany’s Stolze, who is attempting to bounce back from his own unsuccessful UFC debut. On the regional scene, Stolze showed a commitment to activity and a well-rounded game, but that mostly vanished in his first Octagon assignment. However, a lot of that was due to his opponent being Ramazan Emeev—a notoriously slow-paced fighter who was eventually able to drag Stolze into a grind, even if the German fighter had his moments of offense.

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC, PFL and “The Ultimate Fighter” live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

Stolze should find it to be an easier time against Gooden, who steps in on a few days’ notice. He comes surprisingly close to matching Gooden’s long frame and appears to have the type of confidence in his style to throw enough offense to catch the X3 Sports rep off-guard. There is a chance that confidence just results in Stolze eating a knockout punch, but the German has proven durable in the past and also should find some success if he starts looking for takedowns. The pick is Stolze via decision.

Continue Reading » Benoit vs. Adashev