UFC Fight Night 30 Preview

---

Middleweights

Alessio Sakara (15-10, 6-7 UFC) vs. Nicholas Musoke (10-2-1, 0-0 UFC)

The Matchup: Things seemed to be going well for Sakara at UFC 154. He had hurt Patrick Cote badly in the first round with a pair of standing elbows and a right hand, and the Canadian was reeling as he dived for a takedown. Unfortunately, “Legionarious” got caught up in the moment and was ultimately disqualified for landing a series of illegal hammerfists to the back of his opponent’s head.

That made it three straight defeats for Sakara, who has not won inside the Octagon since March 2010, when he scored a first-round TKO victory over James Irvin. Despite mixed results, the Italian has managed to hang around the Las Vegas-based promotion for quite some time. A penchant for exciting standup battles does not hurt his cause, but a fourth consecutive loss to a relative unknown could hasten his exit.

Musoke takes the place of training partner Magnus Cedenblad, who was forced to withdraw from the 185-pound contest. Having trained with the likes of Alexander Gustafsson should certainly work to Musoke’s benefit, but simply having accomplished sparring partners does not always translate into big-show success.

With four victories via submission and four others via knockout or technical knockout, Musoke has demonstrated solid balance in finishing fights. He will try to use his striking to move into clinch range, where he can control the tempo of the fight. Musoke also has solid ground-and-pound from top position, something which could prove useful should he be able to plant Sakara on his back. However, Musoke has competed primarily at 170 pounds and could struggle trying to overpower a larger adversary. On the feet, Sakara’s ability to counter and land combinations to the head and body gives him a clear advantage.

The Pick: Sakara has a suspect chin, but Musoke is not the one to expose it. The Octagon veteran finds an opening and showcases his quick hands, winning by KO or TKO in round two or three.

Next Fight » John Lineker vs. Phil Harris