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Bantamweights
NR | Heili Alateng (14-8-1, 2-1 UFC) vs. NR |Gustavo Lopez (12-6, 1-2 UFC)ODDS: Alateng (-125), Lopez (+105)
This is a well-matched affair with some violence potential. After a solid regional career, Lopez endured a particularly rough entry into the UFC in 2020, as he stepped on extremely late notice to get constantly outwrestled by Merab Dvalishvili. Lopez’s sophomore effort against Anthony Birchak was a much stronger example of what he can do, as he blitzed Birchak in a few different areas and got a quick win without much trouble. That made his performance against Adrian Yanez a bit of a disappointment. In a matchup between two typically aggressive fighters, Lopez was eventually the one who backed off, allowing Yanez to dictate the fight and eventually score a third-round finish. Lopez figures to look more like his old self against China’s Alateng, another fun if occasionally frustrating fighter. “The Mongolian Knight” is a hard hitter with a decent enough wrestling game, but he is prone to long bouts of inactivity that can limit his effectiveness. Against the counter-heavy Danaa Batgerel or the defensive blank slate that is Ryan Benoit, that all worked well enough, but it was disheartening to see Alateng mostly get shellacked by Casey Kenney without really upping his pace in October. There is little separating these two, particularly if Alateng’s power can make Lopez a bit more hesitant. However, Lopez is the likelier to take things into a second gear. The pick is Lopez via decision.
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