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MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom breaks down the UFC’s top bouts. Today, we look at the the battle for the vacant bantamweight title at UFC 251 between [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] and [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag].
UFC 251 takes place Saturday at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.
Petr Yan (14-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC)
Staple info:
- Height: 5’7″ Age: 27 Weight: 135 lbs. Reach: 67″
- Last fight: Knockout win over Urijah Faber (Dec. 14, 2019)
- Camp: Tiger Muay Thai (Thailand)
- Stance/striking style: Switch-stance/kickboxing
- Risk management: Fair
Supplemental info:
+ ACB bantamweight title
+ Master of sports in boxing
+ 6 KO victories
+ 1 submission win
+ 3 first-round finishes
+ KO Power
+ Building pace and pressure
+ Excellent footwork
^ Shifts stances, takes angles
+ Accurate left hand
^ Jabs, hooks and crosses
+ Strong inside of the clinch
^ Defense, trips, strikes off the breaks
+ Solid wrestling ability
^ Scrambles well
+ Underrated submission savvy
Jose Aldo (28-6 MMA, 10-5 UFC)
Staple info:
- Height: 5’7″ Age: 33 Weight: 135 lbs. Reach: 70″
- Last fight: Decision loss over Marlon Moraes (Dec. 14, 2019)
- Camp: Nova Uniao (Brazil)
- Stance/striking style: Orthodox/muay Thai
- Risk management: Excellent
Supplemental info:
+ Former UFC and WEC featherweight champion
+ Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt
+ 4x Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion
+ 16 KO victories
+ 1 submission win
+ 12 first-round finishes
+ KO power
+ Athletic and agile
^ Good reactive instincts
+ Superb footwork
^ Lateral movement, pivots, back-steps
+ Accurate shot selection
^ Jabs and counter crosses
+ Hard leg kicks
+ Excellent wrestling ability
^ Strong hips and base
Point of interest: High-level fisticuffs
A bantamweight battle for a vacant belt, Yan vs. Aldo has all the makings for a classic meeting of high-level talents.
Yan, who is a fighter I’ve eyed since his epic battle with Magomed Magomedov back at ACB 32, has done nothing but inflate the feelings of hardcore fans since stepping onto the UFC stage.
A ferocious Russian competitor, Yan implements a boxing-heavy approach that is both analyst and fan-friendly, as he aggressively works his opposition toward the fence. Whether Yan is operating from orthodox or southpaw, the 27-year-old phenom often conducts traffic with his left hand, as he wields a bevy of accurate weapons from that side.
From straight shots down the center that range from jabs to crosses or sneaky hooks and uppercuts off the lead side, Yan can pretty much do all things from boxing range. The Tiger Muay Thai product will also mix in other things like kicks, knees and elbows into his repertoire – though he seems to smartly save that shot selection for his assaults off of the breaks.
Yan does a deceptively good job on the defensive end, as the former amateur boxer will subtly roll with oncoming shots while keeping his eyes on his opponent with returns in mind. That said, shifting aggression – no matter who is at the steering wheel – tends to be a ripe recipe in regards to opportunistic counters.
Enter Aldo.
Although his people proudly proclaim him as “The King of Rio,” you could argue that Aldo is also the king of counters when looking at his overall fighting game from a thematic standpoint. And when narrowing it down to just his striking, it’s not hard to see the potent counters that the former featherweight kingpin brings to the table.
Typically commanding the cage with disciplined, technical footwork, we have seen Aldo, time and time again, steadily pressure his opponents into exchanges on his terms. Consistently keeping his feet beneath him, the Nova Uniao staple is seldom out of position, which in turn allows him to counter with conviction.
Displaying a solid sense of head movement, Aldo often slips and returns authoritatively with right hand-left hook counters or the occasional leg kick. When pressing forward, the former champ traditionally has been known for his classic “Dutchie” combination, launching a left hook to the liver that feeds nicely into a right leg kick that could serve him well, considering his counterpart tends to lean on a shelling defense.
However, as many have noticed by now, Aldo has been reluctant to go to his leg kicks in recent years.
If you listen to the Brazilian’s coaches and corner, then you will hear them telling their fighter to go to them sparingly, only encouraging Aldo to kick toward the end of rounds or the fight itself. And given the fact that Aldo seems to stay incredibly aware of opposition either trying to counter him or take him down, I won’t be holding my breath for any WEC flashbacks.
Still, power is usually the last thing to go on a fighter’s tool belt, and I suspect that Aldo’s countering ability alone will keep things tense for as the fight stays standing.
Next point of interest: Scrambling down the stretch
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