Preview: UFC Fight Night ‘Cyborg vs. Lansberg’

Featherweights

Godofredo Castro (12-4) vs. Mike de la Torre (14-5)

THE MATCHUP: This may be the hardest fight on the card to call, the ultimate matchup of process versus dynamism. De la Torre is a solid, well-rounded fighter. He hits hard, throws clean punches and wrestles well. Castro is a wild man. He hits hard, too, but the sharp combinations are replaced by flying knees and guard pulls.

The main difficulty in deciding the outcome of this matchup is the fact that de la Torre is a counterfighter. He has at times attempted to fight more aggressively, but his natural compulsion is to let his opponent lead. This could either be very effective against “Pepey” or downright disastrous. The Brazilian is often reckless in the way he attacks and wide open for counters. He also lacks the wrestling game necessary to take down a fighter like de la Torre.

That means this fight will play out in two phases. At range, “Pepey” is dangerous but vulnerable. De la Torre does not have excellent defense, so while he will likely land at a higher clip, he could also find himself in the same boat as Noad Lahat, who easily outstruck Castro before succumbing to a spectacular flying knee. In the clinch, “Pepey” is more than happy to pull guard. That got him in trouble against Darren Elkins, whose anti-jiu-jitsu is top-notch, but it also allowed him to finish Andre Fili via flying triangle choke. De la Torre was himself submitted via similar tactics in his brief tussle with Brian Ortega.

THE ODDS: Castro (-145), De La Torre (+125)

THE PICK: De la Torre will almost certainly get the better of the early striking exchanges, and “Pepey” is wild enough to be hurt in any one of those scuffles. Those wild exchanges will also allow “Pepey” to bring the fight to the ground, however. I have to imagine that de la Torre, trained by the exceptional John Crouch, will avoid the ground at all costs and force Castro to stand with him. In that kind of fight, I will take consistency over dynamism. De la Torre by first-round TKO is the pick.

Last Fights » The Prelims