UFC Fight Night Nashville Analysis

UFC Nashville: Sandhagen vs Font – 8.5.2023 – Fight Predictions and Analysis

Welcome to our collaborative coverage of UFC Fight Night Nashville: Sandhagen vs Font. After a sick pay-per-view last weekend, high-level action continues today in front of a sellout crowd in Nashville. Our analysis includes a pick for every bout from Dynes Sports contributors Anthony Marro and Nicholas Marro.

As coverage continues, we will keep our records up to date below. Be sure to check out our full reasoning for every pick though as records will not reflect confidence. We will be picking every fight, but likely only recommend betting on a select few.

Current Record

Anthony: 176-136-3 (Last Year 320-187-3, 63%)
Nick: 195-117-3 (Last Year 324-183-3, 64%)

*Fight odds were last updated from Bet99 on 8-4-2023 at 9pm EST

Preliminary Card- Starts 6:00pm EST

Asu Almabaev -200 vs Ode Osbourne +160

Anthony: Today’s card begins with a flyweight bout between Asu Almabaev and Ode Osbourne. It is the UFC debut for Almabaev who enters with quite an impressive resume. Fighting out of Kazakhstan, Almabaev brings a grappling heavy approach to his fights. He has exceptional jiu jitsu and eight professional wins by way of submission. Certainly I like his chances against Osbourne, making a splash in the division and extending his win streak to fourteen straight. Osbourne is serviceable on the mat but unlikely to outwork Almabaev for position. His best chance at winning tonight is landing a knockout. He is big for the flyweight division and certainly powerful from the southpaw stance. Osbourne also has some sneaky knees and looping shots in his arsenal that could catch Almabaev. I do not recommend chasing a dog bet here as Osbourne may be even less live than these odds imply. I am expecting one way traffic and Almabaev getting his hand raised. Asu Almabaev by Decision
Nick: Ode Osbourne has crisp striking and he does an excellent job switching stances. He has a powerful back-step power kick; he does a good job diversifying his strikes, and more often than not he’s able to lean on his athleticism to drown his opponents. He works well at range, but he sometimes leaves himself open to counters in exchanges. His wrestling leaves a lot to be desired, but he does carry an arsenal of dangerous submissions if the fight hits the mat. Asu Almabaev will be making his UFC debut here, coming off a submission win over Kenneth Maningat for Brave CF. He has been out of action since November of 2022, but he is 17-2 professionally and widely considered a prospect to keep an eye on in spite of the fact he’ll be debuting at 29-years-old. He regularly trains with top welterweight contender, Shavkat Rakhmonov. He’s well-rounded with a solid wrestling base and impressive durability and cardio. Osbourne will be live for the upset here if he can keep this fight standing, but I’m not confident in his ability to do so. It seems fairly likely Amabaev will lean on a grappling heavy gameplan here to secure a win in his debut. Asu Almabaev by Decision

Sean Woodson -185 vs Dennis Buzukja +150

Anthony: Next is a featherweight matchup with Sean Woodson taking on Dennis Buzukja. This is the UFC debut for Buzukja who gets the call on four days notice after several of Woodson’s previous opponents failed to show up. Buzukja is a two-time alumnus of Dana White’s Contender Series, winning by decision in his most recent appearance. His resume is extremely weak, but Buzukja does mix powerful striking with a very good offensive grappling attack. He trains with the team at Serra Longo and gets great rounds in with champion Aljamain Sterling on the regular. While he can likely get to the legs of Woodson here, Buzukja will struggle to land any offense when these two are at kickboxing range. Woodson has incredibly fast hands and sick reach for this division. He has a nine-inch reach advantage over Buzukja while standing five inches taller. I see him lighting up Buzukja with his boxing, landing ten punch combinations and really controlling the range of this fight. Buzukja should put forth a valiant effort but if unable to string together takedowns, he will not win this fight. While Buzukja appears to be in excellent shape, I am sure he will fade after such a short notice weight cut. He was a half pound heavy on the scales Friday. Sean Woodson by Round Two KO
Nick: Sean Woodson is an extremely talented kickboxer as a former Golden Gloves champion. He continues to show improvements in other facets of his game, but he’s still mostly one dimensional. He has a 79-inch reach which is ridiculous for this division, and most of the time he uses it to pick his opponents apart at a distance. Woodson is going to have a significant advantage when this fight is standing. He lands more than 5.5 significant strikes per minute. He struggled his last time out in a Draw vs. Luis Saldana, but at his best he’s very difficult to close distance against. Dennis Buzujka will be making his UFC debut here, taking this fight on less than a week’s notice. Buzukja is 11-2 professionally, coming off seven consecutive wins. He hasn’t lost a fight since he fell on Contender Series in 2020, to a tough out in Melsik Baghdasaryan. Woodson is going to be the better technical striker in this match-up, but Buzukja should have a power advantage. He does an excellent job landing shots out of breaks and if he can close distance here he’s going to be very live to pull off the upset via KO. Additionally, Buzukja should have a grappling advantage in this match-up as well. The takedowns may not come easy here, but if he has the cardio to pursue them relentlessly he’ll have a good chance to control this fight on the mat. Dennis Buzukja by Round Two Submission

Jake Hadley -185 vs Cody Durden +150

Anthony: This should be a fun flyweight contest between Jake Hadley and Cody Durden. Oftentimes we see Durden pursue a takedown heavy approach to fighting, controlling opponents and winning minutes on the mat. Certainly I expect him to implement that gameplan here against Hadley who is a very sound striker. He is very good at punching in combination and landing with great power for a 125er. Hadley was controlled on the mat in his debut against Allan Nascimento but since then his defense has moderately improved. He was originally slated to face Tagir Ulanbekov today, so I expect Hadley to be in shape and ready to wrestle for three rounds if needed. He is a very skilled jiu jitsu practitioner that could catch a freestyle wrestler like Durden in a submission. We have seen Durden submitted twice in the UFC and may meet the same fate today if he’s not careful. The more potent finisher is Hadley and I expect him to find a stoppage win today. His kickboxing is far superior to that of Durden. He is faster and has much more precise landing strikes. Jake Hadley by Round Two Submission
Nick: Jake Hadley is 2-2 in the UFC, but many feel he still has a high ceiling as a prospect. Hadley had a lot of success on the regional scene, most prominently in Cage Warriors where he captured the flyweight title. He’s a talented grappler with dangerous BJJ but in spite of a recent KO win over Malcolm Gordon, his striking seems to be a work in progress. Hadley’s takedown defense seems flawed as well, but he has solid enough BJJ to work himself into favorable positions against most opponents. Cody Durden is a well-rounded and gritty fighter who finds most of his success using his wrestling to keep pressure on his opponents. He’s more than competent on the feet, but in most matchups we see him try to score takedowns to control position and grind out wins on the scorecards. He’s coming off three straight wins, most recently as an underdog against Charles Johnson. He did a good job consistently scoring takedowns in that fight and wearing on Johnson’s gas tank. Hadley is the better technical boxer in this match-up, the more athletic fighter and the more dangerous finisher overall. Durden has been winning fights by controlling his opponents on the mat, but I expect Hadley to keep up on the ground here. Jake Hadley by Round Two Submission

Billy Quarantillo -180 vs Damon Jackson +145

Anthony: Next is a featherweight matchup between Damon Jackson and Billy Quarantillo. While both men enter this fight coming off a knockout loss, both have proven to be quality talents in this competitive division. Quarantillo is a top 25 fighter, dishing out crazy volume and seemingly never slowing down. His dogged pressure got him caught against Barboza, but the Brazilian is certainly a stiffer test than the oncoming Jackson. Quarantillo should cruise while this matchup is on the feet, landing a high number of effective strikes on Jackson. I do not imagine Quarantillo finds any flashy knockdowns but he will instead pepper shots on Jackson to slowly accrue damage and points. On average Jackson lands more than two takedowns per fight. I see him testing Quarantillo’s 58 percent takedown defense if given the opportunity. Jackson’s best chance at finding a victory here is winning on the mat and using his strength to control Billy Q. I consider him a live underdog in this spot but my money will go on Quarantillo nonetheless. I see him bouncing back in a big way here, landing much more punishment than what he absorbs coming back. Quarantillo by Decision
Nick: This is one of the more exciting fights on the card, and certainly a contender for Fight of the Night. Quarantillo pushes an outstanding pace. Fourteen of his seventeen professional victories have come via finish, and while he’s been known as a slow starter, he is also known for his knack for finishing fights in the later rounds. He throws a lot of volume in exchanges, he’s proven to be extremely durable, although he is most recently coming off a KO loss to a tough out in Edson Barboza. Damon Jackson finds most of his success on the ground, with eight of his last twelve wins coming via submission. Prior to his recent loss to Dan Ige, he had strung together four consecutive wins under the UFC banner. Jackson is a dangerous fighter offensively. He does a good job targeting the weaknesses of his opponents, but his striking defense and general durability have proven to be more of a weakness than a strength. Jackson should have early success here, but I’m not confident he’ll be able to sustain it. Quarantillo has made a career of taking over fights late, and I expect that he can do it again here. Quarantillo is the better striker with much better durability and cardio. His advantages in those areas are likely too much for Jackson to overcome with his grappling here. Billy Quarantillo by Round Three KO

Jeremiah Wells -125 vs Carlston Harris +105

Anthony: This is a great welterweight booking with Carlston Harris taking on Jeremiah Wells. These may be two under-the-radar athletes on the roster but certainly both talented and exciting in their young UFC careers. Wells has won four straight in the promotion, finishing the likes of Court McGee, Warlley Alves and Blood Diamond. Not only is Wells a powerful striker with good single shots in the standup, his grappling is great. Very fundamental jiu jitsu gets paired with powerful takedowns, that is when Wells is able to complete them. Harris has excellent BJJ too and a great front headlock series that should give Wells some pause when shooting. Harris’ length and great defensive grappling really give him the edge in this fight for me. He can score takedowns of his own too using the bodylock against Wells. I see him finding success both on the mat and on the feet today. Harris is rather unorthodox in his attacks but throws serious power into his looping hooks. I also like Harris’ shots to the body and variety of kicks. At near even odds I recommend betting him. It seems like a favorable stylistic matchup. Carlston Harris by Round Two Submission
Nick: Jeremiah Wells is another fighter that likes to come out aggressive and try to end things quickly. We saw this fully on display in his impressive UFC debut, a KO upset victory as a +190 underdog against Warlley Alves. He is 4-0 under the UFC banner and 12-2-1 professionally, most recently coming off an impressive decision win over a well-rounded and experienced opponent in Matthew Semelsberger. Wells’ defensive grappling has come a long way over his past few fights. He can be dangerous on the mat offensive, but he is certainly most content to stand and exchange on the feet. He has explosive power in both of his hands. Harris is 36-years old and 3-1 in the UFC, with his only loss coming to a future title contender in Shavkat Rakhmonov. He’s well rounded with five professional wins coming via KO and five coming via submission. He’s an explosive athlete for his age, and a potent finisher no matter where his fights go. He does a good job honing in on the weaknesses of his opponents, but his aggressive style can occasionally leave him open to be countered or controlled. These are two dangerous finishers with questionable durability. This is a very difficult fight to call. I’m going to side with Wells here as he’s never been finished professionally. This is a volatile match-up and I expect both fighters to have their moments. Durability should be a major factor here. Jeremiah Wells by Round Two KO

Kyler Phillips -210 vs Raoni Barcelos +165

Anthony: The featured prelim is a bantamweight matchup with Raoni Barcelos set to face Kyler Phillips. This ends a rather long hiatus for Phillips who has not fought since February 2022. I do not like hearing of an ostarine suspension but nonetheless Phillips seems like a solid young talent that can make waves in this division. Certainly he has a slight edge facing the 36 year old Barcelos, especially fresh off a bad knockout loss. Barcelos is still a dangerous striker with great kickboxing and muay thai, he just struggles to fight the way he had been early in his career. Barcelos’ volume and defense are waning while Phillips still lands more than five significant strikes per minute. I see him leading the dance against Barcelos, landing with more efficiency and power. Phillips has also improved as a grappler and while he may not take down Barcelos, he will have the opportunity to control the Brazilian up against the octagon side. It is hard to support Barcelos as the underdog here after recently seeing him outworked by Victor Henry and Timur Valiev. Phillips has a motor that should get him a win today, even if this bout goes three rounds. Kyler Phillips by Decision
Nick: Phillips throws diverse strikes and does a good job using feints to bait his opponents into powerful shots. Additionally, he is very athletic with a good gas tank and scrambling ability. He throws exciting and versatile spinning attacks, but he is also dangerous on the mat as a Carlson Gracie BJJ Brown belt . No matter where his fights go, he seems talented enough to find success against a wide range of opponents. As talented as he is, Kyler Phillips has been out of action since February of 2022 following a USADA suspension for ostarine. While he likely made some improvements in his technical abilities, it’s difficult to gauge how he’ll look now that he’s no longer on PEDs. Ostarine has specifically been known to boost cardio, a major strength for Phillips in the past. Barcelos was once considered by many to be a future top contender in this division. He’s extremely well rounded as a third-degree black belt in BJJ whose striking is as creative as it is dangerous. He has a diverse arsenal of kicks, which he mixes in well with his boxing to keep his opponents on their heels. As talented as he is, there is really no denying that he is not as dangerous or effective as he was just a few years ago. He’s coming off a brutal KO loss to Umar Nurmagomedov, and at 36-years old he’s now one of the older fighters in the division. There are a lot of questions surrounding both of the fighters in this match-up, which is why I wouldn’t recommend betting on it. I’ll side with Phillips as the favorite as he’s eight years younger and likely the higher volume striker. Kyler Phillips by Decision

Main Card- Starts 9:00pm EST

Ignacio Bahamondes -235 vs Ludovit Klein +185

Anthony: The main card opens with a lightweight scrap between Ludovit Klein and Ignacio Bahamondes.I am a big fan of Bahamondes, a polished kickboxer with an intelligent and aggressive fighting style. At just 25, Bahamondes has already won three UFC fights and looked fantastic in doing so. I am excited to see him clash with another striker in Klein. Bahamondes lands more than double the volume of Klein on average while also nearly matching his rate of accuracy. Bahamondes also makes opponents miss 58 percent of their attempted strikes, a ridiculous number given the frantic pace he tends to engage at. Keeping Klein at the end of his shots will certainly make this an easy fight for Bahamondes to control. Klein has good kicks and powerful hands in the pocket, but I see him struggling to land clean on a faster and longer opponent. Bahamondes will get through with his jab more often than Klein and likely connect on the more fruitful counters. The Chilean is one of my favorite bets on today’s fight card. Ignacio Bahamondes by Decision
Nick: Bahamondes has what many would describe as a loose and free striking style. He’s very light on his feet and does an excellent job mixing kicks into his combinations. He’s shown an ability to KO his opponents both at range and in the clinch. He has surprising power for his frame, but he often leaves his head on the center-line and as a result he tends to take a lot of damage in exchanges. Klein is fairly advanced technically for a 28-year old. He has decent grappling, but the precision and power behind his strikes is something to behold. He does a good job using feints to court his opponent’s into powerful shots and his left high kick is as dangerous as any singular strike in the division. He continues to show improvement in his grappling ability, but there is no denying he’s most content to stand and exchange on the feet. Given Bahomondes’ length and superior athleticism, I expect he can keep this fight at striking range where he should be able to pick Klein apart at range. The line does feel wide as Bahamondes is still developing as a prospect, but he’s certainly the side here. Ignacio Bahamondes by Decision

Tanner Boser -155 vs Aleksa Camur +125

Anthony: Next is a fight between mediocre light heavyweights Tanner Boser and Aleksa Camur. It is not the highest level fight in terms of skill but we should get some good exchanges between these two heavy hitters. Camur has a background in boxing and some heavy hands. He uses his length well and has proven to be very durable through eight professional bouts. Durable is not a term I would use to describe Boser but as a veteran of more than 30 pro matchups I do need to give him respect today. He is in the proper weight class after formerly competing at heavyweight and Boser does offer good speed and combination punching for a 205er. He can likely beat Camur today in a dogfight or slow pace scrap, I just worry about a big shot getting through and finishing the Canadian. Boser seems the more proficient in most areas of martial arts but I still won’t be betting him in such a volatile matchup. I do not believe Camur to be any good but I suppose that is still yet to be proven. Tanner Boser by Round Two KO
Nick: Boser has decent footwork. He’s deceptively quick for his frame and he does a good job moving in and out of his opponent’s range in striking exchanges. He recently moved down a weight class to 205 lbs as he was struggling to defend takedowns at heavyweight. He struggles to work back to his feet if he’s taken down, but he does seem to be actively working on that hole in his game. Aleksa Camur has been out of action since June of 2021 as he’s been recovering from multiple injuries. He is 6-2 professionally. He’s athletic for the division and fairly well-rounded, but he throws strikes at low volume and he really doesn’t have any stand out skills on offense. At 27-years old it is safe to expect we continue to see him make improvements, but he’s been mostly underwhelming so far when he fights at the UFC level. This is a low level match-up and a tough fight to call. Boser should be the more active fighter so I’ll back him as a favorite, but this is a very volatile matchup. Tanner Boser by Decision

Diego Lopes -175 vs Gavin Tucker +140

Anthony: This is a matchup at featherweight between Gavin Tucker and Diego Lopes. Money has poured in on Lopes this week moving the line from near pick em odds. He captured the hearts of many fans with his performance this May, barely losing a decision to Movsar Evloev on short notice. He is a credentialed jiu jitsu practitioner and the BJJ coach at Lobo Gym MMA. The man has a wealth of combat experience and very good fundamentals for competing in mixed martial arts. He blends jiu jitsu very well with intuitive takedown attempts and rather fearless striking on the feet. Tucker has always been known for his solid boxing but I fear his skills are diminishing each fight as he now walks to the cage at 37. He is coming off a knockout loss to Dan Ige two years ago with no competition in the meantime due to injury. I have never been all that high on Tucker and if his hand speed is not what it once was he has very few ways to win this matchup. Tucker’s wrestling has proven to be effective in the past but he’d like get into trouble trying to shoot today against a grappler of Lopes’ caliber. I won’t be betting on Lopes at these odds but he does appear to be the rightful favorite. Diego Lopes by Decision
Nick: Lopes is 21-6 professionally with eight wins coming via KO and eleven coming via submission. He’s primarily a grappler with slick BJJ. He’s coming off a UFC debut loss to Movsar Evloev, but against a ranked opponent on short notice his stock actually rose as he stayed competitive and nearly finished Evloev multiple times in that match-up. Gavin Tucker has been out of action since he was KO’d by Dan Ige back in March of 2021. Prior to that loss, he had been building momentum with notable wins over Seung Woo Choi and Billy Quarantillo. Tucker has a strong wrestling base and he generally does a good job working to his opponents’ backs. Tucker is decent on the feet, but somewhat slow and predictable in his striking. His window to compete at the top level is closing as he’s 37-years old, but at his best he’s a tough fight for anyone outside of the top-10 at 145 lbs. Diego is most certainly going to be chasing submissions here. Tucker should have a technical advantage on the feet and in terms of his wrestling ability. This is a low confidence play but I’ll back Tucker here as Lopes’ only path to victory likely comes by finish. Gavin Tucker by Decision

Kennedy Nzechukwu -160 vs Dustin Jacoby +130

Anthony: The featured bout is a light heavyweight contest between Dustin Jacoby and Kenndy Nzechukwu. This should be a highly competitive bout and I find it one of the toughest to call on this card. Nzechukwu has made me some real money lately, winning three fights in a row by finish. He is beginning to look like a complete fighter, mixing patient striking with great clinchwork and grappling. Nzechukwu is big for this division while Jacoby is not at all menacing at 205 pounds. I could see Nzechukwu bullying Jacoby here if able to execute takedowns or find prolonged exchanges in the clinch. However, this fight is more likely contested at striking range where Jacoby should score often and land the more effective blows. Nzechukwu does a great job defending and eating shots on his closed guard, but he will need to also land significant offense to keep up with the consistent kickboxing attack of Jacoby. A bout that goes to decision would favor The Hanyak and likely put an end to Jacoby’s winning streak. I will back him as the underdog in hopes he can fight safely and pick apart Nzechukwu. Dustin Jacoby by Decision
Nick: The biggest knock on Nzechukwu is his low output and tendency to stay excessively conservative. He often spends too much time just waiting for fights to come to him. He’s a dangerous striker and technically sound offensively, but his extreme tentativeness prevents him from dominating inferior opponents. He is coming off three consecutive wins via finish, and he’s recently been leaning on his offensive grappling more. Additionally, there is no denying his BJJ has come a very long way since he debuted with the UFC back in 2019. Dustin Jacoby has excellent striking ability. A former Glory Kickboxer, he presents a diverse arsenal of kicks and he generally does a good job using them to keep his opponents at range. Jacoby has a nice jab, a strong left hook, and he has continuously shown an ability to eat punches in order to throw them. He is coming off back-to-back losses for the first time since 2015, but there is no denying he’s still a very tough out for the back-half of the top-15 at light heavyweight. These are two similar fighters with a lot of similar strengths in their striking abilities. I slightly prefer Nzechukwu as he should have grappling upside. Kennedy Nzechukwu by Round Two KO

Tatiana Suarez -375 vs Jessica Andrade +280

Anthony: The co-main event is a women’s strawweight fight with Jessica Andrade set to face Tatiana Suarez. The undefeated Suarez appears poised to make a title run with a win here today over the division’s former champion. Suarez already has wins over former champion Carla Esparza and the current flyweight champion Alexa Grasso. She is an incredible talent, bringing elite wrestling into the UFC octagon and smothering all of her competition on the mat. She averages more than two takedowns landed per round with a success rate of 58 percent on attempted shots. Andrade has the edge striking against Suarez sure, but this is going to be a very one-sided fight if Suarez does get to her takedown. Andrade has proven susceptible to elite wrestling as of late and the move down to 115 pounds certainly won’t help her cause. Andrade has tremendous power for a women’s strawweight but not the shoulders or hips needed to out wrestle a two-time freestyle medalist. Suarez will have her way with Andrade here grappling, making this a rather easy fight to call. I love Andrade but I find her chances slim after seeing what Erin Blanchfield was able to do to her earlier this year. Tatiana Suarez by Round Two Submission
Nick: Known for her near olympic level wrestling ability, Suarez seems primed to once again build major momentum towards a title shot. She’s most recently coming off a solid win over a tough out in Montana de la Rosa, which came in her first fight since 2019. Suarez’s striking is far from refined, but it is effective enough to allow her to close range and then drag most opponents to the mat. She has notable wins over Alexa Grasso and Carla Esparza, and with another win here she could be aligned for a title shot towards the end of the year. Andrade fights out of a compact stance and she’s easily one of the most powerful punchers in WMMA. She lands nearly seven significant strikes per minute in the UFC, and she’s fought and won against the majority of the elite women on the roster. She is coming off back-to-back losses for the first time since 2020, and it seems she could be slowing down as she’s taken a lot of damage over her storied career. Andrade is the better striker in this match-up, but her takedown defense leaves a lot to be desired. Given the fact her glaring weakness plays into Suarez’s greatest strengths, I expect she’ll struggle in this matchup. Tatiana Suarez by Round Two Submission

Cory Sandhagen -350 vs Rob Font +265

Anthony: The main event is a showdown between bantamweights Rob Font and Cory Sandhagen. The winner of this fight will be in great position for a title eliminator in this talent packed division. The bout today comes at 140 pounds due to the short notice nature of this booking. Sandhagen had originally been slated to face Umar Nurmagomedov today but now instead draws a worthy challenger in Font. Sandhagen is really the cream of the crop, showcasing beautiful striking in every promotional appearance thus far. His footwork is next level and the ability for Cory to land strikes from both stances is something very few others can do. He looks exceptional in both stances and switches with ease as each strike lands. Sandhagen has won two bouts in a row, putting on a clinic against both Song Yadon and Marlon Vera. I find this to be another easy fight for Sandhagen given the boxing oriented style of Font. Rob can crack and certainly lands with high volume and accuracy, I just find it hard to see him winning this fight so flat footed. Sandhagen will likely have Font following him around the cage today and struggling to land an effective offense of his own. Sandhagen blends kicks, elbows, knees and punches so well together while Font largely does work with just his left and right hand. Sandhagen also has the edge grappling today if he were to elect for a takedown. He seems poised to win this fight just about any way he wants to, making him a favorite bet of mine. Cory Sandhagen by Round Three KO
Nick: We have an excellent bantamweight match-up here between two of the division’s top contenders. Both of these guys are primarily strikers, and they’re both extremely gifted in their abilities. Sandhagen has outstanding cardio, which comes as no surprise as he trains in the thin Colorado air at Elevation Fight Team. Sandhagen generally does a good job keeping distance and using his length to pepper his opponents while staying out of danger. He’s coming off impressive wins over Song Yadong and Marlon Vera. Font is a very skilled boxer with a solid overall game. He’s had a lot of success in the UFC, outclassing opponents on the feet utilizing nearly flawless footwork and a refined traditional boxing style. He’s coming off an impressive KO win over up-and-comer Adrian Yanez, and he’s sliding into the main event here after taking this fight on relatively short notice. Sandhagen has shown dramatic improvements in his wrestling both offensively and defensively over his last few fights. He should be able to secure takedowns here if he needs to, but I fully expect he can win this fight exclusively on the feet. While Font is an excellent boxer who uses his hands well, Sandhagen is an extremely diverse striker that uses not only his hands well, but also his elbows, knees, and feet. Sanhagen’s constant stance switching, endless movement on the feet, and ability to land from varying angles should allow him to pick Font apart slowly over time. Font will be dangerous if Sandhagen is overeager here, but I fully expect he’ll fight intelligently as he almost always does. Cory Sandhagen by Round Four KO

-Nick Marro

Twitter: @NickMarroDFS

-Anthony Marro

Twitter: @AnthonyMarro_

Photo: UFC.com