Preview: UFC Fight Night ‘Mir vs. Duffee’

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BANTAMWEIGHTS

Scott Jorgensen (15-10, 4-6 UFC) vs. Manny Gamburyan (14-8, 5-6 UFC)

THE MATCHUP: Veterans Jorgensen and Gamburyan attempt to remain relevant in a rapidly changing bantamweight landscape. Jorgensen has been on a brutal run in the last several years, going 2-6 in his last eight, and was most recently submitted by Wilson Reis in October. Gamburyan pulled out a come-from-behind submission win over Cody Gibson on Sept. 27 but prior to that dropped fights to Nik Lentz and Dennis Siver.

Jorgensen has evolved from a fairly one-dimensional wrestler into a well-rounded fighter, though some gaps still remain. He works behind a crisp jab at range, takes clean angles and has even developed a nice counterpunching game that carries some real pop. The problem is that he tends to leave himself in range to be hit and is not a defensive mastermind. As a wrestler, Jorgensen has a nice single-double-trip chain that he likes, and he is reasonably solid at stuffing shots. From top position, he works to control and has some power in his ground strikes, but he offers nothing from his back and often puts himself in bad positions as he scrambles.

Gamburyan has loads of experience and some skill in every facet of the game. He packs some real power in his hands and has grown more technical, but he still relies on winging hooks along with the occasional jab and kick. He does an excellent job of using his strikes to cover his shot takedowns and clinch entries, however, which remain the meat of his game. He has a lovely arsenal of trips and throws but is more relentless than highly technical with his singles and doubles. On the mat, he maintains a heavy base, passes well, can land some big shots from the top and has a decent submission arsenal.

BETTING ODDS: Gamburyan (-160), Jorgensen (+120)

THE PICK: To put it bluntly, neither fighter has looked good, even in victory, over the last several years. Both appear to be at the ends of their tethers as elite competitors. In that scenario, I slightly favor Gamburyan’s size, takedowns and power over Jorgensen’s quickness and volume. The pick is Gamburyan by decision.

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