Preview: UFC Fight Night 185 Prelims

Eddie Wineland (24-13-1) proves he's still got it after 16 years, pulverizing Grigorii Popov in round two! The first WEC bantamweight champ owns 19 finishes, 15 by knockout. #UFC238 pic.twitter.com/RsqghHWTIa

— Bulgogi Jones (@Hamderlei) June 8, 2019

Bantamweight

NR | John Castaneda (17-5, 0-1 UFC) vs. NR | Eddie Wineland (24-14-1, 6-8 UFC)

ODDS: Castaneda (-130), Wineland (+110)

It feels like Wineland has been around forever, but the former World Extreme Cagefighting champion is still going strong at a surprisingly young 36 years old. Wineland’s striking style raised some eyebrows in his prime, but his willingness to leave his hands down and rely on body movement for defense proved to be ahead of its time. While the approach has generally held up well, Wineland can still be outpaced and caught by younger and better athletes. That dynamic was clearly on display in his most recent bout—a quick knockout suffered against Sean O'Malley in June. Wineland looks to rebound against Castaneda, who looks to turn the tide after an unsuccessful UFC debut in July. “Sexy Mexi” is a fun and scrappy fighter who can do a little bit of everything, but he can struggle to pull the trigger despite a movement-heavy style. He was out of his depth on late notice against Nathaniel Wood in his first Octagon assignment, but Wineland should provide some more opportunities for Castaneda to change the tide of the fight with a big moment. In turn, Castaneda represents the level of fighter that Wineland has still managed to put away at this stage of his career; and his own style should give Wineland just as many chances to plug him with a counter. The pick is Wineland via second-round knockout.

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