We have another exciting UFC Fight Night this weekend, can Darren Till prove he is a real middleweight contender and make light work of veteran Derek Brunson? We are going to breakdown the main event giving you my prediction and analysis before moving onto my free pick of the night.
Derek Brunson – Does he have what it takes?
Let’s start this off by saying Derek Brunson is a great fighter. The 37-year-old veteran is 22-7-0 in his career, coming into this fight with a decision win over Kevin Holland. He has spent time training with Muay Thai legend Manu Ntoh, and we have seen him really improving his striking and becoming more than just a wrestler. I am still not sold completely on his striking however, improved yes, but lethal – no. He is often hesitant on his feet and makes some crucial mistakes, going into a fight against someone like Darren Till this could be dangerous. The only way I see Brunson coming out of this fight is with stamina. Till is the better striker and has more to lose, he will be coming into this fight looking to make a statement. If Brunson can position himself to avoid any serious damage in the first two rounds, he can make a late comeback to win the fight by dominating the last 3 rounds.
Darren Till – Title or not?
Darren Till is a good fighter, he has talked about his desire for the title and to be honest with you, that’s not out of the question. Till is 18-3-1 in his career and is looking to prove himself here. He has mentioned before he wants a shot at the title, to get that I feel he has to win this fight. He has the better striking in this matchup, and with someone like Brunson who has been knocked out in the past, Till will be looking to end this and he definitely has the ability to do that.
Final Prediction – How long Till it’s over?
The key for Brunson in this fight is patience, like I said, with someone as hesitant and inconsistent in striking as Brunson I do not see this fight going far. Till is hungry, more skilled and just a better fighter. You can see a lot of analysis predicting a Brunson upset, but I am here to tell you there is a reason Till is going in this fight as the favourite. It’s simple, he better.
Prediction: Darren Till to win the fight by TKO (+140)
In what I think will be one of the best fights in the card Jack “Tank” Shore takes on Liudvik “Palmeyros” Sholinian. Jack Shore is entering this fight with an undefeated record of 14-0 and is heavily favourited. Sholinian on the other hand will look to prove the bookmakers wrong coming into this fight with a 9-2-1 record.
Prediction
Straight up, there is a reason that Jack Shore is huge favourite here. Liudvik lost the ultimate fighter but lost got completely out done. He walked into the punishment and Shore is one to dish out punishment. His fight style has often been compared to Khabib, and for good reason, he has excellent patience, position, and perfect take downs. You will often find him in position, throwing in a hook and looking up at the clock with perfect time management. This is how I see this fight going, Liudvik will come forward and Shore will execute a perfect takedown, get into position quickly and win this fight quite easily.
FREE PICK: Jack Shore by Submission (+163)
