UFC Fight Night ‘Brown vs. Silva’ Preview

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Middleweights

Lorenz Larkin (14-2, 1-2 UFC) vs. Costas Philippou (12-4, 5-3 UFC)

The Matchup: This pairing appears designed to showcase the striking talents of Larkin and Philippou, neither of whom has shown much of an inclination to shoot for takedowns thus far in their respective careers.

Despite a versatile toolbox of attacks on the feet, Larkin has lost two of three bouts in the Octagon. While one of those defeats -- a UFC on Fox 7 setback to Francis Carmont -- was controversial, it is clear that the “Monsoon” needs to do a better job of putting a lasting imprint on his fights. In his most recent outing, Larkin was consistently beaten to the punch by Brad Tavares, an opponent who coming in seemed to lack the speed and diversity to get the better of the Strikeforce veteran.

Philippou, meanwhile, briefly entered the division’s top-10 ranks after putting together a five-fight winning streak highlighted by a stoppage of Tim Boetsch at UFC 155. Since then, the 34-year-old New Yorker has suffered decisive losses to Carmont and Luke Rockhold, proving that his elevation into the 185-pound elite might have been premature.

Larkin is capable of landing various flashy attacks at distance or doing damage with knees and elbows in close quarters. However, an aggressive opponent may be able to keep him from finding a rhythm by staying in his face with combinations, just as Tavares did.

While Philippou is not likely to use kicks or takedown attempts like the Hawaiian, he has a sturdy chin and is a dangerous puncher in the pocket. A former professional boxer with solid speed, accuracy and technique in tight spaces, Philippou probably has the better hands of the two. Another plus for the former Serra-Longo Fight Team member is that he will likely be able to plant his feet and throw more emphatic punches in this matchup since Larkin rarely poses a takedown threat. Philippou has adjusted his approach in the past to better defend against dominant wrestlers, which has at times taken away from his power.

Of course, Larkin will not be too concerned with his opponent’s takedown prowess, either, and his multi-pronged arsenal combined with solid cage generalship gives him a solid chance to rack up the points, provided he takes a more aggressive approach than he did against Tavares.

The Pick: Larkin has more options with which to work, and that should be good enough to fetch him a decision victory.

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