Preview: UFC Fight Night 197 Prelims

Featherweights

NR | Sean Woodson (8-1, 2-1 UFC) vs. NR | Collin Anglin (8-2, 0-1 UFC)

ODDS: Woodson (-320), Anglin (+260)

He might still be working out the details, but Woodson cannot help but be an interesting featherweight prospect. At 6-foot-2, “The Sniper” is absolutely gigantic for the division, and he can sometimes put that frame to good use. He finished Terrance McKinney with a flying knee on Dana White’s Contender Series and enjoyed an impressive UFC debut, picking apart Kyle Bochniak over the course of three rounds. However, Woodson’s last two fights have been far from clear performances. Against Julian Erosa, who was hittable but remained aggressive and durable, Woodson eventually tired under the pace and pressure and fell victim to a third-round submission. He was then lucky to walk away with the nod against Youssef Zalal in June—a fight that saw Woodson have his moments as a striker but get stifled constantly by his counterpart’s clinch game. Woodson’s upside is high and he should be able to keep his head above water enough to realize it, but he could use a big showing here. Anglin was outgunned in his UFC debut against Melsik Baghdasaryan, but he has otherwise proven to be a well-rounded fighter, capable of either working behind a bouncy striking game or turning the situation into a grind. The main question about Anglin heading into the UFC involved a subpar level of competition, but between the Baghdasaryan fight and his DWCS win to earn a contract in 2020, he has shown enough to warrant his spot on the roster. Being solid but unspectacular might be enough for Anglin to outlast Woodson; Anglin is more of a damaging fighter at close range than Zalal and can hold his own on the feet. However, between Woodson being a decent grappler and the massive size difference making it hard for the stockier Anglin to close range, the former deserves to be favored. There is a solid chance for an upset, but the pick is Woodson via decision.

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