Oban Elliott (9-2) vs. Valentine Woodburn (7-1)
Odds: Elliott (-290), Woodburn (+235)
This should hopefully be a good time. Woodburn has the potential to make some waves going forward, but he wasn't put in position to succeed for his UFC debut, which saw him get thrown in opposite middleweight uber-prospect Bo Nickal and quickly get knocked out as a result. Woodburn's a bowling ball of muscle who hit fairly hard on the regional scene, but wasn't as dominant through his physicality as you'd think; his last two wins were decision victories and he was a surprisingly poor defensive wrestler given his frame. But those were all fights at middleweight and light heavyweight, so the hope is that a cut down to welterweight here allows Woodburn to realize his full potential as a bully - and that could certainly happen against Elliott.
Elliott won his UFC contract on the Contender Series last year and put together a solid performance, fighting through exhaustion and adversity to gut out a decision win. And that's essentially the game for "The Welsh Gangster." He's a solid striker and a capable wrestler whose lack of explosive athleticism prevents him from being much of a finisher, but he'll keep plugging away thanks to his heart and durability. Woodburn could just win this through sheer athleticism, particularly if his weight cut goes well, but the bet is that Elliott can outmaneuver Woodburn long enough to coast this one out, particularly since the cut down to 170 pounds figures to affect Woodburn's gas tank. The pick is Elliott via decision.
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