MMA Junkie expert Dan Tom breaks down the UFC’s top bouts. Today, we appearance at the co-main occasion for UFC 294.
UFC 294 takes location Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The primary card airs on pay-per-view at a unique time of 2 p.m. ET following prelims on ESPN+.
Khamzat Chimaev (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC)
UFC fighter Khamzat Chimaev positions on the scale throughout a ritualistic weigh-in for the UFC 279 combined martial arts occasion Friday, Sept. 9, 2022, in Las Vegas. Chimaev is setup to face Kevin Holland on Saturday. Chimaev was obese for his arranged bout versus Nate Diaz. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun through AP)/Las Vegas Sun through AP)
Staple details:
- Height: 6’2″ Age: 29 Weight: 185 pounds. Reach: 75″
- Last battle: Submission win over Kevin Holland (Sept. 10, 2022)
- Camp: ADMA Academy (Dubai)
- Stance/striking design: Switch-stance/kickboxing
- Risk management: Fair
Supplemental information:
+ National champ in freestyle fumbling (SE)
^ Won several years and weight departments
+ Brazilian jiu-jitsu purple belt
+ Amateur MMA honors
+ 7 KO success
+ 5 submission success
+ 8 first-round surfaces
+ KO power
+ Aggressive speed and pressure
+ Steadily enhancing striking and footwork
^ Solid jab from both positions
+ Favors front kicks from open position
+ Superb fumbling capability
^ Offensively and defensively
+ Excellent transitional grappling
^ Good positional awareness and penalizing procedure
Kamaru Usman (20-3 MMA, 15-2 UFC)
Kamaru Usman UFC 286 ritualistic weigh-ins
Staple details:
- Height: 6’0″ Age: 36 Weight: 185 pounds. Reach: 76″
- Last battle: Decision loss to Leon Edwards (March 18, 2023)
- Camp: ONX Labs/Kill Cliff FC (Florida)
- Stance/striking design: Switch-stance/kickboxing
- Risk management: Good
Supplemental details:
+ Former UFC welterweight champ
+ NCAA Division-II nationwide champ
+ 3x NCAA All-American
+ 9 KO success
+ 1 submission win
+ 3 first-round surfaces
+ Consistent rate and pressure
+ Solid feints and footwork
+ Improved general striking
^ Jabs, bodywork, andsoon
+ Strong inside the clinch
+ Excellent takedown capability
^ In the open or versus the fence
+ Superb leading videogame and control
^ Rides and shifts wisely
+/- Fighting on 11 days notification
Point of interest: Striking on brief notification
The co-main occasion for UFC 294 includes an unscripted middleweight match inbetween Khamzat Chimaev and Kamaru Usman.
Despite coming from a fumbling base, Chimaev appears to be comfy striking from both positions. The Chechen fighter can fire off stylish jabs from either side, which, in turn, assistance him follow up with power shots.
Unless his challenger brings a good grappling pedigree, Chimaev normally squanders little time extending striking exchanges before looking to modification his level and battle. However, in current getaways, we’ve seen Chimaev play a bit more with open-stance looks on the feet.
Whether he’s tossing his preferred front kick or looking to line up a wicked best hand, Chimaev appears to be acquiring a taste for open-stance affairs. That stated, Chimaev’s abilities puton’t precisely shine through in the protective department, so the 29-year-old will requirement to make sure he’s appreciating what’s coming back at him this Saturday.
Enter Usman.
Akin to Chimaev, Usman is likewise a wrestler who has established a flair for striking from both positions.
Whether he is feinting forward or moving his position in mix, Usman will constantly confine his opposition towards the cage, assaulting them with impunity whenever they action near it. The 36-year-old is likewise wise about moving away from his challenger’s power side when advancing, all while tossing confining hooks that assistance him close area.
Usman has certainly been focusing a lot more on his jab and lead-hand work in current years, proving a sharp acumen from both positions. From offensively streaming off of his jab to utilizing it in a monitoring way, Usman is excellent about keeping his feet below him for optimum performance.
Between the short-notice nature of this battle and Chimaev’s keptinmind hostility, I would not be stunned to see Usman take more of a backfoot technique this weekend.