World Series of Fighting Preview

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Welterweights

Gregor Gracie (7-2) vs. Tyson Steele (9-1)

The Matchup: Gracie enters this contest as the more well-known commodity, thanks in large part to his family’s decorated history in MMA. Gracie has competed three times, with varying results, for the fledgling One Fighting Championship promotion. Most recently, he dropped Nicholas Mann with punches and then mounted and armbarred him for a first-round triumph at One FC 5. It was a nice recovery for Gracie from his previous outing in which he fatigued and faded down the stretch in a three-round loss to Adam Shahir Kayoom at One FC 4.

He will be facing a like-minded opponent in Tyson Steele, a jiu-jitsu specialist who has earned seven of his nine career victories by submission. The Alliance Martial Art System representative is especially adept at finding openings for the rear-naked choke, as six of his triumphs have come via that maneuver. Steele will find positional dominance hard to come by against Gracie, a 2009 Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Championships bronze medalist. The 25-year-old is extremely sticky from top position, and he can land punishing elbows from mount in order to create openings for submissions.

Gracie has decent power in his hands, though he normally uses his striking to set up takedowns. He is also adept at changing levels when an opponent becomes careless on his feet. While Gracie is skilled at advancing position on the floor, he does not always achieve maximum results. He failed to put away Kayoom despite securing back mount in the first round, and he achieved full mount multiple times without earning a finish in his One FC debut against Seok Mo Kim. Still, Steele does not want to find himself on his back, or he will quickly find himself losing rounds.

The Pick: Steele does not appear to offer enough in the way of striking to bother Gracie, but if he can remain persistent by making his foe consistently defend his shots, he will have a chance to do damage in the later frames. In a close battle, Gracie holds on for a decision.

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