Preview: UFC on ESPN 44 ‘Holloway vs. Allen’

Light Heavyweights

Ion Cutelaba (16-9-1, 5-8-1 UFC) vs. Tanner Boser (20-9-1, 4-4 UFC)

ODDS: Cutelaba (-130), Boser (+110)

Boser has protested calls for him to move to light heavyweight for years, so it is surprising that he cuts down to 205 pounds now. The idea was understandable given that Canada’s “Bulldozer” was clearly one of the smaller men plying his trade in the UFC’s heaviest division, but that relative speed advantage—along with his durability—was also part of Boser’s most consistent path to success. For most of his regional career and early on in the UFC, Boser carved out a niche as a fighter willing to flit around with low-powered offense until he outlasted his heavier opponents; and a breakout 2020 campaign saw him knock out a few opponents with superior hand speed. Even so, getting outwrestled by the much larger Rodrigo Nascimento in September was apparently enough for Boser to reconsider his situation, and he makes his light heavyweight debut against the scuffling Cutelaba.

Still just 29 years old, Moldova’s Cutelaba came to the UFC as a promising prospect in 2016, already surprisingly experienced with a well-rounded game centered around aggression. However, “The Hulk” has leaned into that aggression more and more over the years, clearly to the point of diminishing returns. Cutelaba could usually march down and quickly finish a solid number of opponents, but he has become so locked in on his offense that his opponents can win that race to a finish, whether it is via his charging into a submission or just getting knocked out cold. Cutelaba’s skills are still there and Boser does not figure to be much of a knockout threat at light heavyweight, so there is a chance he can just grind his way to a finish. However, with Boser having shown some solid grappling in the past, the bet is that he can survive long enough to cause yet another Cutelaba implosion, even if this one takes a bit longer than usual. The pick is Boser via third-round knockout.

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Holloway vs. Allen
Quarantillo vs. Barboza
Jacoby vs. Murzakanov
Cutelaba vs. Boser
Gutierrez vs. Munhoz
Garcia vs. Guida
The Prelims