Diggin's Deep on UFC 226: Miocic vs. Cormier – FS1 Preliminary Preliminaries

Do you ever want one thing, express a disappointment when you get something else, only to be completely satisfied once you finally indulge in what you have? The FS1 rounds really have that kind of feeling. Nobody asked for any of these competitions before being put together. Hell, I do not think Paul Felder fighting Mike Perry has ever gone through the minds of anyone until their opponents' wounds allow the two to be matched. Nevertheless, each of these contests offers a captivation of the mind by taking a closer look

The preliminaries of the UFC 226 FS1 begin at 20:00 ET / 17:00 PT Saturday

Uriah Hall (13 -8) vs Paulo Costa (11-0), Average weight

Few fighters were as maligned as Hall. Nobody denies his talents. Hall's ability to land a battle that changes from nowhere is unmatched. Just ask Gegard Mousasi or Krzysztof Jotko about it. However, he is also a complex personality who does not seem to have the mentality to excel in the sport as his physical abilities indicate. This does not remove the danger that it may represent, but it gives a glimpse of its inconsistent results.

Although Hall is not as good as some people believe, it's not as bad as his harshest critics suggest. . One of the things that these critics might suggest is that Hall has no game of land. Granted, it is unlikely to get a bid, but Hall has shown the ability to hit the casual takedown when running demolition sound defense. Yet his bread and butter have always been his kicking and punching with the ability to land at any time. He sent Sprawling Mousasi with a jumping knee and is known for his spinning attacks, but it's not like he was doing everything with flash. A simple right and right hand was all that was needed to start Jotko's finishing process.

Costa could be more physically talented than Hall, although he was not faced with the same challenge as Hall. This does not mean that the UFC has not tried to test Costa, comparing it to Johny Hendricks, recently retired, in his last fight, but everyone knows that Hendricks was well past his first. Nevertheless, Costa looked impressive, using his reach to restore the former welterweight champion, Costa showed more discipline than most anticipated that he possessed. It will probably not be as effective against Hall whose 79 "range is about 10" more than Hendricks … and 7 "more than Costa.

Nonetheless, Costa's pressure style is exactly what Hall tends to to collapse. "Combine that with Costa's fast improving fight to fight and it's hard to see Hall come out victorious." Again, it's impossible to fully rely on Hall. He even knock on Costa on occasion – whose fight and struggle are still a mystery – and make a decision … although the knockout suddenly seems more likely if Hall wins. Costa via TKO's RD1

Paul Felder (15-3) vs Mike Perry (11-3), Welterweight

I'm not sure how I feel about this contest, but it does not do It does not want to not to say that I'm not excited to see how it goes.Felder is a natural light weight but has stepped in when the UFC removed the mat from his opponent by removing his opponent for UFC Boise to replace Al Iaquinta against Justin Gaethje. Of course, I'd rather see Felder and James Vick doing the damn thing, but seeing Felder with Perry's biggest opponent is an intriguing option that I will not turn away.

this contest is the opposite trajectories of the fighters. Felder soared after a difficult period, while Perry struggled to find his way back to victory after an exciting start in his career at UFC. Perry's struggles may be rooted in a number of things, but the most notable might be a lack of direction. This became evident when the cameras surprised his girlfriend in his corner, telling him to break Max Griffin's leg. Even if the fight was a grappling bout at that time, it would not seem like the best technical advice. It appears even worse when the fight is strictly a standup business.

Perry decided to change things, moving his camp to Jackson-Wink. Given that Perry is a very emotional fighter, many would agree that Greg Jackson seems to be on the surface the right person to tap into Perry's vast potential. It's not that Perry is a stupid fighter. He knows his strength and his cheek. His power is not mundane and he waits patiently for his opponents to sneak into his firing range. The problem is that opponents have become fond of this strategy and have chosen to separate Perry from the outside with time share takedown.

Though he's used to fighting smaller opponents, Felder may have the fighting style to expose Perry. Griffin and Santiago Ponzinibbio were able to do it. Felder has honed his boxing skills in recent contests to complete his extensive arsenal of kicks, ranging from basic and round sneakers to spinning techniques. He's also tough in close combat, but it's hard to see Felder outclbad the stocky Perry in the quarterfinals.

The wild card is the kind of effect Jackson will have on Perry. If it can help the power pitcher make adjustments in combat and spice up his strategy a bit, Perry could eventually jump ahead of Felder with ease. If Perry is resistant to change, Felder could easily separate it. Both have proven to be durable, but Perry's power is damn close to superhuman. He may only need a good shot on Felder. With the help of a new camp, he can get it. Perry via TKO of RD1

Raphael Assuncao (26-5) c. Rob Font (15-3), Shell

If you need proof of title shots are given and not earned at the UFC, look no further than Assuncao . With 10 wins in his last 11 appearances since he switched to bantam weight – including a win over current champion TJ Dillashaw – the long-time veteran has been rewarded with a fight in the trap against a dangerous Rob Font. Do not fool me to say that Font is not a difficult fight. He is absolutely. But Assuncao has nothing to gain with a win over Font and all there is to lose should he be absent. Noogies difficult for the Brazilian.

Assuncao failed to get that well deserved shot at the belt because of his toasty style. He launches a right counter with regularity – and precision – as his main offensive weapon. Although he has some power, his arrival at Matthew Lopez last fall was his first result in nearly five years. As good as he is, Assuncao does not sell tickets with his footwork and barrage of low kicks. Although he's become a technically sound striker, his fight may be the strongest part of his game with his fight the most underrated part.

Font will not be able to outperform Assuncao, but he could overwhelm him. Font's striking power is near the top for the 135 division and he has a 5 "advantage over Assuncao to help him find a way to connect with his chin. made the greatest use of his reach, preferring to counter with hooks in the pocket, but he made progress to keep his opponent at bay.

My instinct says that the UFC makes a Favourier and cuts a loss on Assuncao to remove him from the top of the hierarchy However, I think of two things and I think back to this idea: the loss of Font to Pedro Munhoz and his defensive defense mediocre.The police made most of Munhoz fight , but Assuncao does not have the same defensive deficiencies as Munhoz.As for his defensive defense against takedowns, Font tends to get back on his feet quickly, but I also do not see any grapplers noted on his register … except Munhoz … and Munho z submitted. Assuncao via the submission of RD2

Curtis Millender (15-3) vs. Max Griffin (14-4), Welterweight

Millender made a statement of 39, hell in his debut at the UFC, coming on A short notice to get rid of the former title contender, Thiago Alves, fashionable, while giving it easy look. A mbadive welterweight at 6 "2" with a reach of 78 ", Millender will not be able to exercise his craft at 170 forever. Until the moment arrives that he can no longer make the cut, his size alone will create all sorts of problems for the opponents. Despite this, Millender hits only on the counter, preferring to kick a wide variety of kicks to his opponents. Although it may be prone to pressure, Melee's melee has turned out to be more than functional.

Griffin's debut at UFC two years ago went wrong, but since then everything is on the rise. Of course, he did not win all competitions in this period, but his defeat against Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos was one of the most brutal fights of the UFC in 2017, displaying endurance and unequaled durability. At his next contest – after quitting his job to focus on full-time training – Griffin demonstrated discipline and a technical kickboxing game, choosing Mike Perry with a shot and shots down from the outside. Although there are still some important questions about his grappling, Griffin has turned out to be a versatile striker at least.

This is not an easy contest to predict. Griffin has more power, but Millender has taken his place as an attacker, delivering three straight brutal finishes. Putting Alves back is not an easy task, even though Alves is well past his first. If he decides, Griffin's activity makes a smart bet, but I go with my instincts telling myself that Millender finds a home for one of his brutal head shots to finish the evening early for the night. attacker arrived. Millender via KO of RD2