The UFC is featuring a match of two dangerous strikers in the Middleweight. A fight that has title shot implications. On one side you have the favored Sean Strickland who has been aggressively chasing the finish in his last four outings. On the other you have what the former Ultimate Fighter winner, Uriah Hall who may have finally realized his full potential. Both men are on a four fight win-streak with majority finishes, giving credence to expectations of the headliners providing a knockout brawl.
Sean Strickland’s Path to Victory
Strickland a.k.a. “Tarzan” is a bad man. There is no doubt in his desire to bring violence come Saturday night. As he has proven time and time again, he will walk forward and land a high percentage of strikes. He may not have the flashy spinning head-kick finishes like his opponent, however he is strong in the fundamental kickboxing. Look for Sean to blitz Hall’s kicking setups to keep it dirty and close. Sean should also mix in the takedowns to keep Uriah guessing. The more looks he can give Hall, the more success he will have implementing his renowned pace. Grappling will be where Strickland can begin to have success. If he can get that going, the shots will be there all night for Sean to pick apart his opponent.
Uriah Hall’s Path to Victory
Overall, Hall is better everywhere – except the grappling realm. Hall will need to keep the match at distance early and get off some of his nasty kicks. Hall has proven to have evolved even further in his bout with Anderson Silva and Antonio Carlos Junior. His experience in the octagon with the best will be a huge advantage for Hall. The only concern with the top contender is his off-nights. Perhaps a mental block, but Hall can go from a world beater to a sub-par UFC middleweight. I would argue that the man has not shown lack of motivation since his loss in July of 2018 against Paulo Costa. I think its time we remove that stigma from Hall at this point.
Prediction for Hall vs. Strickland
Frankly, I’m surprised at the lines. Yes, Hall has been cold at times, but he has taken out the bigger, and better names in the middleweight division. Take nothing away from Strickland. He is a game, grimy killer in the cage, but he has not fought a tactician like Hall yet. Look for Hall to finish the fight in the championship rounds (four and five). Either Strickland will start to rack-up rounds causing Hall to get more dangerous, or Strickland will look to get dangerous and eat a nasty counter. This bout is a perfect match to make some real cash on Uriah Hall as he is once again the underdog.
