Preview: UFC 270 Prelims

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Bantamweights

NR | Tony Gravely (21-7, 2-2 UFC) vs. NR | Saimon Oliveira (18-3, 0-0 UFC)

ODDS: Gravely (-240), Oliveira (+195)

Gravely has been a frustrating prospect to track. After his Dana White’s Contender Series win over Ray Rodriguez earned him a contract in 2019, Gravely looked like a talent to watch. Despite being a pro for less than four years, Gravely had already packed in more than 20 fights against a strong level of competition, building a well-rounded game around some strong wrestling. Gravely does a lot right and has obviously put in the work to improve, but things have yet to fully come together. Gravely is a dogged wrestler but has trouble finding an avenue to control his fights, and he is prone to defensive lapses that have cost him some big moments. His most recent fight, a September loss to Nathan Maness, is emblematic of Gravely’s UFC career to date. Gravely had things well in hand through a little over a round, but Maness was able to quickly shift momentum and suddenly get the ball rolling towards a knockout finish. Gravely could yet break through, even in an already-stacked bantamweight division, but it would be nice to see a complete performance sooner rather than later if he wants to cash in on his considerable upside. He will look to rebound against Brazil’s Oliveira, who earned a contract via DWCS in September. Oliveira is a solid-enough fighter, but his most impressive moments come when he catches his opponents with a tricky submission game, particularly with a guillotine choke that has clearly become his signature technique. Oliveira was not an obvious signing based on his Contender Series performance, but he draws a matchup where he can certainly impress, given his ability to take advantage of Gravely’s lapses in defense and find his neck. Still, there is not much reason to pick Oliveira beyond that, particularly since his willingness to hunt for submissions from his back while losing rounds means he will likely need that finish. It does not figure to be a clean performance, but the pick is Gravely via decision.

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