UFC 206: Three Fighters to Watch on Saturday Night
UFC Octagon Girl: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
With the spotlight focused on the interim title fight between Max Holloway and former lightweight champion Anthony Pettis, UFC 206 features several bouts containing exciting prospects that are largely flying under the radar.
After an unfortunate injury to UFC light heavyweight kingpin Daniel Cormier left the champ sidelined from his title fight with Anthony Johnson, UFC 206 saw a new main event take shape, and with it, a new level of importance.
What was once a co-main event match-up between perennial featherweight contender Max Holloway (16-3) and former lightweight champ Anthony “Showtime” Pettis (19-5) is now a high-stakes main event battle for the interim featherweight belt. The winner of this match-up will presumably take on newly-crowned champ Jose Aldo in the near future.
Rounding out the co-main event slot is what is guaranteed to be an entertaining welterweight scrap between two fan-favorites in Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone (31-7) and Matt “The Immortal” Brown (20-15). The winner of this fight will gain some serious footing in the always-stacked welterweight division, as both men look to climb the rankings towards the top-five.
With the public eye largely focused on these two bouts, the card is also filled with talented prospects and exciting fights that carry heavy implications for the future of their respective divisions. With that being said, here is a look at a few of the fighters featured on UFC 206 that are ready to make a statement on Saturday night.
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#3: Lando Vannata
Occupying the feature slot of the Fight Pass prelims is a pivotal match-up between “Groovy” Lando Vannata and John “The Bull” Makdessi. Coming off the heels of one of the most impressive debuts in recent memory, Vannata looks to prove that his near-upset of Tony Ferguson wasn’t just a fluke.
Groovy’s first fight in the UFC showcased his cool demeanor and diverse striking game. His stand up was fluid and effective, hurting Ferguson badly at one point in the fight. His Achilles heel in that bout was his willingness to eat punches to deliver his own. While it made for an entertaining scrap, doing so against an opponent with the power of Makdessi will result in a short night for Vannata if he hasn’t tightened his defensive game.
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Makdessi is compact and powerful, possessing the ability to stop a fight in one punch if he lands cleanly (see his spinning backfist against Kyle Watson). Most of his fights are closely-contested on the feet, where he has seen mixed results throughout his career. He often has trouble with longer fighters, as seen with his three most recent losses to Yancy Medeiros, Cowboy Cerrone, and Alan Patrick.
This fight should turn out to be a technical striking battle. Expect the rangy and creative Vannata to make use of his reach and full striking arsenal to take a competitive decision on the judges scorecards, establishing that he belongs on the UFC’s lightweight roster.
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#2: Misha Cirkunov
Capping off the prelims is an exciting light heavyweight affair between #7 Nikita Krylov and #13 Misha Cirkunov. This bout between two exciting prospects carries heavy implications for the future of the division. A win here should set up either man with a fringe top-five opponent as they climb the light heavyweight ladder.
Cirkunov sits at 3-0 in the UFC, with stoppages in each of his fights. He has shown devastating power and explosive strength, with a TKO of Daniel Jolly in his first bout, and a jaw-crushing submission of Alex Nicholson in his second. He also showed he has the cardio to last late into a fight, securing a third-round submission of Ion Cutelaba in his most recent performance.
His opponent, Nikita Krylov, is equally devastating in all areas of the game. The master of combat sambo enters this fight riding a five-fight win streak with stoppages in each victory. Krylov has shown that he has the versatility to finish a fight on the feet or on the ground, making excellent use of all of his tools inside the octagon.
While both men are very evenly-matched and the fight could really go either way, the difference in this one should be Cirkunov’s crushing strength. The Latvian will look to pressure Krylov early, steadily wearing him down until he finds an opening to land something with devastating power late in the fight.
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#1: Doo Ho Choi
Although he is ranked #11 in the UFC’s featherweight division (eighth according to Cage Pages), “The Korean Superboy” Doo Ho Choi has a chance to burst into the title picture with an emphatic victory on Saturday night. Set to do battle against fourth-ranked Cub Swanson, a win here would put Choi on the fringes of the top five.
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Coming into this fight with three straight first-round stoppages in the UFC, Choi respectfully called out Cub after an impressive TKO win against tough veteran Thiago Tavares in his last outing. His wish was granted, and the two will lock horns on the third fight of the card.
The fight is a very interesting stylistic match-up. Cub is extremely well-rounded, possessing an arsenal of devastating striking techniques and an underrated ground game as well. He is dangerous in all areas of the game, and is a tough test for anyone in the featherweight division.
Choi is a patient striker with surprising power and accuracy. His ability to put away opponents with a single punch, namely his right hand, is what separates him from his peers. Much like Conor McGregor, The Korean Superboy always seems to find the chin of his opponents, and he wastes no time in doing so.
Expect this fight to be a changing of the guard within the featherweight division. Cub will present problems early for The Korean Superboy with his high-velocity striking attack, but Choi will stay true to his word and catch him late in the first.
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