Preview: UFC 261 Prelims

Bantamweights

NR | Danaa Batgerel (8-2, 1-1 UFC) vs. NR | Kevin Natividad (9-2, 0-1 UFC)

ODDS: Batgerel (-185), Natividad (+160)

This should be a banger. Mongolia’s Batgerel immediately established himself as a scrapper in his UFC debut—a fun fight against Heili Alateng that saw him wind up on the losing end of the stick. While Batgerel figured to bring entertainment, the question was whether or not he could find the wins to stick in the UFC. His last bout, a 2020 win over Guido Cannetti, served him well. Batgerel quickly got the better of things and scored a first-round knockout. He will look to accomplish the same against Natividad, who also figures to press the action. Natividad made his UFC debut in October and picked up where he left off on the regional scene, building his approach around a willingness to throw down—even if that got him knocked out by Miles Johns at the tail end of their fight. This is essentially a toss-up in practice, given that it will all come down to whoever hits the first big shot of the fight. Batgerel deserves to be favored, if only because he has proven to be more durable in the past. The pick is Batgerel via first-round knockout.

Continue Reading » Rong vs. Vargas