UFC Fight Night 39 Preview

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Lightweights

Mairbek Taisumov (21-4, 1-0 UFC) vs. Michel Richard Cunha dos Prazeres (17-1, 1-1 UFC)

The Matchup: After dropping a competitive decision to Paulo Thiago at 170 pounds in his Octagon debut, Prazeres downshifted to lightweight to pick up his first UFC triumph against Jesse Ronson in September. Despite the change in weight, Prazeres still faded in the third round against Ronson. Fortunately for him, he had already won the first two frames on the judges’ scorecards, but he will have to improve his conditioning going forward.

The Jungle Fight veteran is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who will aggressively pursue takedowns in hopes of controlling the fight on the ground. Once there, Prazeres will use ground-and-pound while attempting to advance position for submissions; he nearly secured a rear-naked choke against Ronson. He has a powerful build that helps him to implement this approach, but it also tends to take a toll on his gas tank.

Prazeres will have to work to get inside against Taisumov, who has a five-and-a-half-inch reach advantage. The Austria-based Chechen should have an advantage on the feet. While Prazeres has decent kicks -- he had success landing to the legs, body and head against Thiago -- his primary goal will be to get Taisumov down.

Taisumov, meanwhile, showcased a fairly diverse skill set in a win over Tae Hyun Bang at UFC Fight Night 34. He landed kicks at various levels, utilized his jab fairly consistently and staggered his opponent with a left hook. In addition, he mixed in timely takedowns throughout the bout, including a judo throw in the third round. Taisumov is more polished on the feet than Prazeres. He throws his right hand with speed and power, but his kicking game might be his strong suit.

While he might have some difficulty dealing with Prazeres’ strength in close quarters, Taisumov has demonstrated a solid sprawl and clinch in the past. He might also have an opportunity to finish late if Prazeres fades.

The Pick: Taisumov takes it by decision.

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