Underdogs Paying the Bills in Buffalo

Gregor Gillespie vs. Andrew Holbrook

UFC 210 Preliminary Bout – Lightweight

This lightweight bout is an intriguing matchup between an up-and-coming name in mixed martial arts, the undefeated Gregor Gillespie, and the ever-reliable Andrew Holbrook. Gregor Gillespie started his career in the UFC in the right way by managing a unanimous decision victory over Glaico Franca. He has lost his touch for stopping opponents in his last two fights after making sure his opponent was out of the cage in the first round in his first six fights.

Andrew Holbrook started his professional career with ten straight wins, racking up a 10-0 record before losing to Joaquim Silva in July 2016. Holbrook then went to Australia to take on the local Jake Matthews as a heavy underdog and came out with a split decision victory, putting him right back on track and earning this fight against a fighter who has never previously lost.

The Breakdown

Gregor will be relying on getting his wrestling going against Holbrook in this one. Generally, it’s Holbrook who will look to slow down the fight to a grinding pace and slowly work at his opponents, so it will be interesting to see how this one plays out on the mat.

Prediction

Gillespie is a tough dude, but I think that Holbrook is too composed for him in this battle and takes this one out by way of decision.

Des Green vs. Josh Emmett

UFC 210 Preliminary Bout – Lightweight

Des Green debuts this weekend at UFC 210 in Buffalo just one hour from where he grew up and will be looking to work with the energy of the home crowd to overcome insanely tough Josh Emmett. Des Green has put together a 19-5 record as a mixed martial artist and has previously held the Titan FC championship. Green has an outstanding wrestling resume and looks to bully opponents with grappling techniques.

Josh Emmett has seriously impressed through his short time in the UFC so far with wins over Jon Tuck and Scott Holtzman. The Holtzman fight was probably unlucky not to win the Fight of the Night award at UFC on FOX 22 back in December. Emmett has excellent footwork and fights a bit like a smaller Dominick Cruz in the way he moves around and operates from crafty angles.

The Breakdown

Des Green thinks he will have the most success when this one is on the mat, and I couldn’t agree more. Emmett is lightning fast on the feet and will give Green a headache with his agile movements inside the cage. If Green can get Emmett down and prevent the scramble, there’s every chance he can tire him out by forcing downwards pressure for minutes at a time – however, I just don’t see it happening against Emmett who is extremely well-rounded.

Prediction

Emmett gets this one done via a late stoppage as Green tries relentlessly for the takedowns and control but just isn’t able to get it happening.

Irene Aldana vs. Katlyn Chookagian

UFC 210 Preliminary Bout – Women’s Bantamweight

Irene Aldana fights out of Lobo Gym and made her way into the UFC in December after putting together a 4-1 record in Invicta FC. Her debut was against Leslie Smith at the UFC on FOX 22 and was awarded the Fight of the Night in a hectic battle between two fighters who never backed down. Smith took it to Aldana all night and overwhelmed her with pressure, which seems to be a glaring weakness of Aldana’s game as she struggled to fight with her back to the cage.

Aldana’s opponent, Katlyn Chookagian, has received some decent exposure after her debut win against Lauren Murphy at UFC Fight Night 91 back in July. By exposure, I mean that she was featured on the UFC 205 card in New York against Liz Carmouche and now is battling on another PPV in UFC 210. I remember being impressed by Chookagian’s volume and quality of striking in her debut against Lauren Murphy last year.

The Breakdown

Aldana’s inability to handle forward pressure from opponents was visible in her battle against Leslie Smith and Katlyn will be looking to employ a similar tactic against her in this one. However, I think this plays out dangerously for Chookagian who is at her best when using long-range strikes and staying at her distance. One of my outtakes from the previous fight against Carmouche was that she should have let Carmouche enter her range often and force closure of the distance instead of pushing forward with empty punches. I don’t think Chookagian has the short-ranged weapons to cause Aldana trouble on the inside and Aldana’s power from a distance will be the major factor.

Prediction

Katlyn Chookagian’s striking won’t be respected by Irene Aldana at UFC 210 and Aldana may score a late stoppage via punches.

Tips Summary

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