dominick cruz vs pedro munhoz prediction

#Dominick cruz vs pedro munhoz prediction full#

It’s not like Quarantillo is known for his sharp defensive skills. Quarantillo may consider mixing the martial arts, but he’s going to come out swinging first and that’s all the opening Barboza needs to do damage. Really, there are few fighters in the UFC who can say they’ve fought the murderer’s row that Edson Barboza has seen in the past nine years.Īdd in the fact that Quarantillo is an accommodating style matchup for Barboza and you can see why it’s possible he snaps a two-fight skid here. But like the main event, the more experienced fighter has faced considerably stiffer competition. Billy Quarantilloīilly Quarantillo is the fresher fighter in this matchup, so much like the main event, I’m favoring the younger fighter. I have Allen winning a narrow, possibly controversial decision, over Holloway. So look for this to be a close striking encounter, one that will force Allen to dig down deep and prove that he deserves another five-round opportunity after this one, and for a UFC title next time. You’ll know early on whether Holloway is too much for the talented Englishman.Īllen will likely mix in some wrestling, but I’ll actually be surprised if he’s able to muster much offense off of his takedown attempts if he can even get Holloway down at all. A few sink-or-swim exchanges might be exactly what Allen needs to snap into action and fire back. Allen is blessed with top-shelf athleticism and everything he does is so fundamentally sound, but Holloway gives his opponents zero room to breathe.

#Dominick cruz vs pedro munhoz prediction full#

Oddly, I think Allen will need the full 25 minutes to figure Holloway out. Allen’s cardio isn’t in question, but maintaining that kind of focus and intensity for five rounds is difficult for anyone and it’s fair to ask if he’s up to the task against one of the best fighters of all time. He’s gone five hard rounds in his last seven fights, something that Allen hasn’t had to do once in his UFC career. There’s simply no way to prepare for the combination of volume, accuracy, and sheer savagery that Holloway brings to every fight. We all know Allen has done enough to challenge for UFC gold, but in a business that’s all about making statements, Allen’s has trailed off with an ellipsis rather than been punctuated with an exclamation point.Īs great as this opportunity is for Allen, it could also expose him in a major way if Holloway brings his A-game. His knockout of Dan Hooker left more people questioning what Hooker was even doing back at featherweight than campaigning for an Allen title shot, and what could have been a showcase fight against Calvin Kattar ended in disaster when an errant knee forced Kattar to bow out from the contest prematurely with an injury. If he puts on a convincing performance against Max Holloway - heck, if he ekes out a split decision - it’s time to give “Almighty” his due.įair or not, Allen has been missing that piece of indisputable evidence for his contender case.

1 contender at 145 pounds and this is it. Arnold AllenĪrnold Allen has been searching for that moment that will make him the undeniable No. (Numbers in parentheses indicate standing in MMA Fighting’s Global Rankings ) Max Holloway vs. ET on ESPN+, followed by a six-fight main card at 8:30 p.m. The eight-fight preliminary card begins at 5:30 p.m. Where: T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo. In other main card action, featherweight veteran Edson Barboza fights Billy Quarantillo, Dustin Jacoby meets Azamat Murzakanov in a duel of light heavyweight strikers, Ion Cutelaba welcomes new 205er Tanner Boser to the division, Pedro Munhoz seeks a much-needed win against the fast-rising Chris Gutierrez, and Clay Guida makes his 35th UFC appearance when he takes on Rafa Garcia in a lightweight bout. So even if Holloway isn’t ready to hand off any torches, Allen may snatch it away regardless. On the other side, Allen hasn’t lost to anyone since making his UFC debut in 2016. With 30 fights under his belt, it’s possible that Holloway’s best days are behind him, but he’s also never lost at 145 pounds to anyone not named Volkanovski in almost a decade. 2 at featherweight in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings - fights for the first time since suffering a third loss to UFC champion Alexander Volkanovski. Where the road takes him and how long it stretches on for is anyone’s guess, though we’ll have some indication on what lies ahead for Holloway when he squares off with Arnold Allen in the UFC Kansas City main event.

Max Holloway’s next journey begins on Saturday.