Preview: UFC Fight Night ‘Cyborg vs. Lansberg’

Middleweights

Thiago Santos (13-4) vs. Eric Spicely (8-1)

THE MATCHUP: To be quite honest, this fight is not worth much analysis. I say that because the motivation of the matchmaker is quite clear: The UFC wants Santos to get back on track with an impressive win, and it has no better use for Spicely.

Spicely is not without his strengths as a fighter. He was undefeated coming into his UFC debut, having finished all but two of his first eight opponents, four of them by submission. Spicely is a talented submission grappler, and he shows great determination in pursuing the takedown. He is probably best suited, however, for the welterweight division. Spicely carried enough flab in his lone UFC bout that he made Sam Alvey look like Charles Atlas. The difficulty of fighting at too high a weight is exacerbated by the fact that Spicely is not much of an athlete.

The same cannot be said of Santos. He actually does look like Charles Atlas. Actually, he makes Charles Atlas look like Alvey. Not only is he strong enough to muscle around opponents in the clinch, making them pay with short shots in the process, but he is also extremely explosive, especially with his kicks. Santos is steadily improving as a striker, loosening up in the boxing department while still retaining his deadly kicks and knees.

THE ODDS: Santos (-450), Spicely (+355)

THE PICK: Santos is going to blow up Spicely. I say this meaning no disrespect to Spicely, but he is outmatched in just about every department. He is neither quick enough nor skilled enough on the feet to strike with Santos; he is too small to impose his grappling skills on Santos on the ground; and he is not a good enough wrestler to get Santos down in the first place. It is a bad matchup for “The Dream Catcher” and a nice tuneup for “Marreta.” The pick is Santos by first-round KO.

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