Preview: UFC Fight Night ‘Boetsch vs. Henderson’

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FEATHERWEIGHTS

Thiago Tavares (19-5-1, 9-5-1 UFC) vs. Brian Ortega (8-0, 0-0 UFC)

THE MATCHUP: Rising prospect Ortega takes on established Brazilian veteran Tavares in a potentially solid clash. Tavares has been in the UFC since 2007 and is currently riding a two-fight winning streak, his most recent victory coming via submission over Robbie Peralta in his featherweight debut. Ortega was the Resurrection Fighting Alliance champion and came in with quite a bit of hype. It seemed to be justified by his first-round choking of Mike de la Torre, but he popped for steroids in the aftermath.

Ortega is a grappler, first and foremost. His guard is wicked and he never stops attacking, with a particular emphasis on the triangle choke. He has numerous setups and consistently works a variety of sweep and submission chains, and if his opponent stands, Ortega is happy to up-kick with abandon. Finding the back in transition is another specialty. On the downside, nobody will confuse Ortega with a high-level wrestler, though he can hit the occasional single, double or trip, and while he is game and durable, his striking game is a major work in progress.

Though he has never been spectacular, Tavares is well-rounded, polished and firmly in his prime. At range, he fires off a hard right hand, kicks the legs with authority and is perfectly willing to engage. He is at his best, however, when he gets his hands on his opponent. Tavares’ strikes mainly serve to get him close enough to cover his takedown attempts or clinch entries, and he finishes his double-legs and trips nicely. On the mat, Tavares is absolutely suffocating. He maintains a brutally heavy base from top position, passes smoothly and excels at finding and keeping himself on his opponent’s back.

THE PICK: If Ortega were a little further along, he would be the likely pick here. Unless Tavares has fallen off a cliff, however, this is his fight to lose. I expect him to crack Ortega at range, push him up against the fence, work takedowns and grind this out. The pick is Tavares by decision.

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