Preview: UFC Fight Night 72 ‘Bisping vs. Leites’

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LIGHTWEIGHTS

Ross Pearson (17-8, 9-5 UFC) vs. Evan Dunham (15-6, 8-6 UFC)

THE MATCHUP: England’s Pearson draws the American Dunham in an excellent lightweight affair. Pearson looked to be on a roll after moving back to 155 pounds, with a “loss” to Diego Sanchez and a knockout victory over Gray Maynard, but he was viciously knocked out by Al Iaquinta before rebounding with a finish of Sam Stout. Dunham rebounded from a brutal three-fight losing streak with a win over Rodrigo Damm in January.

Pearson is mostly a boxer, and a skilled one with real power in his hands. He likes to work his way into the pocket behind a crisp jab; and once his opponent throws, he then slips or rolls and returns fire with a vicious combination. The left hook is his money punch, but he also packs some force in his right, and he mixes up his strikes to respond to his opponent’s movements. A strong low-kicking repertoire and the occasional middle or high kick adds variety, though he rarely sets them up with punches. Rugged takedown defense allows Pearson to operate confidently on the feet, and he can hit the occasional takedown of his own when the mood strikes, though he is not a particularly imposing grappler.

The southpaw Dunham is skilled everywhere, but he has come to depend more and more on his striking in the recent past. He fires off a crisp right jab and follows it with a nice straight left, keeps his feet under him as he moves forward and can string together combinations of up to five punches that he occasionally follows with a kick. Defensive wrestling is a strong suit, but Dunham does not do enough to set up his own takedown attempts and is not a particularly authoritative finisher. When the fight does hit the ground, Dunham is quite skilled, with nice passes and an active guard. Cardio and overall offensive output are the best facets of Dunham’s game, and he can wear down opponents purely through pace.

THE PICK: Dunham’s aggressiveness and Pearson’s counterpunching ability make this an intriguing matchup with the potential for entertaining violence. It is entirely possible that Dunham will outwork the Englishman and drown him with volume, but Pearson is the craftier and more technical striker, with the power to seriously hurt the hittable Dunham. It could be close, but the pick is Pearson by decision.

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