Welterweights
Kenan Song (21-8, 5-4 UFC) vs. Ricky Glenn (22-8-2, 4-5-1 UFC)UFC 305: Du Plessis vs. Adesanya Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now!
This is a crucial spot for Glenn. A late-notice signing in 2016, “The Gladiator” looked like the type of fighter who could build a fanbase without ever becoming a contender. A scrappy go-everywhere fighter who already had a decade of experience under his belt by his late 20s, Glenn figured to provide an entertaining fight every time out while also struggling to overcome his lack of physical gifts. That held true for the first two years and change of Glenn’s UFC career, but after capping off 2018 with a loss to Kevin Aguilar, his body has started to betray him. Glenn returned in 2021 after two and a half years on the shelf and looked solid enough, knocking out Joaquim Silva and taking Grant Dawson to a draw. However, it seems like another subsequent cascade of injuries has sapped a lot of Glenn’s effectiveness. Losses to Christos Giagos and Drew Dober didn’t really get going before Glenn quickly got knocked out. Glenn moves up to welterweight in this assignment in a shift that might help his durability, and he’ll need it against Song. China’s Song’s approach is fairly simple. He’s a tank of an athlete who hits like a truck, and “The Assassin” mostly prefers to stay patient and wait for his opportunity at a knockout. That can lead to some frustratingly inactive stretches, but Song remains dangerous until opponents put him away, as he even got top rising talent Ian Garry in trouble in a fight early last year. If Glenn can survive Song’s shots, the American should succeed in coasting out the win through volume in a grimy fight. Still, this looks set up to be a Song win given Glenn’s recent performances. The pick is Song via first-round knockout.
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