UFC News & Features‘The Ultimate Fighter 30’ Heavyweight Final
Zac Pauga (5-0, 0-0 UFC) vs. Mohammed Usman (7-2, 0-0 UFC)ODDS: Pauga (-230), Usman (+195)
When the cast was announced for Season 30 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Usman was probably the most notable name—literally due to his last name, as he is the brother of the current welterweight champion. “The Motor” has had a much rockier path up the ranks thus far; in the two times he has taken a clear step up in competition, he has suffered his two pro losses to Don'Tale Mayes and Brandon Sayles. Part of that is that Mayes and Sayles are the rare heavyweights who are even larger than Usman, exposing that he is not a particularly comfortable fighter at this point, especially on the feet. Without the ability to control the fight and keep things at a slow pace, Usman struggled with Sayles’ reach and eventually suffered a second-round stoppage. However, the tools are there for Usman to turn a corner—he has also shown some ability as a wrestler—and his run to this season’s final was a promising sign, even if he still is not a particularly reliable finisher. On the other side of things is Pauga, who looks like a surprisingly solid prospect for such a latecomer to the sport. A former NFL hopeful, “The Ripper” is already 34 years old despite just crossing the two-year mark as a pro. His five-fight regional career looked promising, if only for Pauga showing an ability to fight behind either striking or wrestling as his style matchup dictated and not looking too bad at either. Heading into the show, the main concern for Pauga would have been that he is a career light heavyweight, but he did not stick out as particularly undersized in his two wins to make it to the final. That should also be the case here. If everything suddenly clicks for Usman, this would be his fight to lose, but at this point, Pauga looks like the much more comfortable fighter; and in a shot-for-shot battle, he also appears to be the harder hitter. It may not be particularly electric since it does not seem likely that this will devolve into a brawl, but the pick is Pauga via decision.
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Santos vs. Hill
Luque vs. Neal
Pauga vs. Usman
Miller vs. Walker
Spivak vs. Sakai
Lipski vs. Cachoeira
The Prelims
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