Preview: UFC on ABC 4 Prelims

Bantamweights

Cody Stamann (21-5-1, 7-4-1 UFC) vs. Douglas Silva de Andrade (28-5, 6-5 UFC)

ODDS: Stamann (-155), Silva de Andrade (+135)

Bantamweight gatekeepers square off for what looks to be a compelling clash. Stamann was brought in essentially as card filler to make up for some lost fights back in 2017, so it was a surprise when “The Spartan” turned out to be a potential contender. Stamann’s game has never been particularly appealing, but he was able to grind out ugly wins over top prospect Tom Duquesnoy and ranked veteran Bryan Caraway to put together a strong run. Then Aljamain Sterling handled Stamann without much of an issue, and the last few years have seen him consistently scrape up against a clear ceiling. Stamann is a stocky wrestler who historically has not had much in the way of knockout power, leaving him with a low margin for error against more dynamic athletes, particularly those who can neutralize his takedowns. After suffering a three-fight losing streak—all to top prospects and contenders—Stamann has done some impressive work around the margins to try and fix things, knocking out Eddie Wineland in under a minute before surprisingly outboxing Luan Lacerda for a decision win in January. The UFC bantamweight division might be too deep for Stamann to make a true run towards contention, but he is more versatile than ever heading into this fight against Brazil’s Silva de Andrade. “D’Silva” is in much the same spot as Stamann, serving as a perennially tough out while struggling to break into the bantamweight rankings, but he comes from the opposite spectrum as a fighter. Silva de Andrade’s game is almost entirely dependent on his high-level athleticism, as he has cobbled together a lot of disjointed techniques that work when thrown with maximum force. However, that comes with its limitations against fighters with more technical depth, and like Stamann, Silva de Andrade has a squat frame that often leads to struggles against opponents who can consistently keep him at range. That is part of the interesting dynamic at play here, as Stamann’s the deeper fighter but far from the type of rangy athlete that usually hands Silva de Andrade his clearest losses. With the new wrinkles Stamann has been showing, the bet is that he can stay elusive and adaptable enough to stay out of danger; and if all else fails, his typically reliable wrestling game should also find him some success. The pick is Stamann via decision.

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