The X Factor: When you have more than 12 feet and 500 pounds of humanity in the cage, cardio is bound to come into play, unless the Octagon collapses. Barring any such incident, the cardio battle will hinge on who can generate maximum offense with minimal effort. Hague’s solid record obscures the fact that his movements are severely telegraphed and his reach is virtually ignored as a strategic advantage. While Duffee is practically the same size as Hague, he is the faster and more dynamic fighter, which makes him the one more likely to take over when the adrenaline and testosterone meters hit zero.
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The Bottom Line: Hague just barely managed to beat Barry and took plenty of damage en route; repeating that feat against a game opponent he cannot bully around is beyond his ability. The UFC hopes this fight can launch Duffee’s career, as he’s one of North America’s premier heavyweight prospects. Hague has just enough cache to his name to pass as a suitable opponent. Watch for Duffee to weather the Octagon jitters by keeping the kind of pace that would make a speed junkie blush. Hague will have no answer, except to tap the canvas when Duffee flips the switch and goes into a ground-and-pound frenzy.