UFC on Fuel TV 4 ‘Munoz vs. Weidman’ Preview

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Lightweights

Rafael dos Anjos (16-6, 5-4 UFC) vs. Anthony Njokuani (15-6, 2-2 UFC)

The Matchup: Dos Anjos is primarily known as a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and dangerous submission artist, but he can bring some thunder on the feet, as well. In his most recent outing, the Brazilian cracked Kamal Shalorus with a head kick before following him to the mat for a rear-naked choke finish. And who can forget his effort at UFC 132, when a counter right hook dropped George Sotiropoulos inside of a minute? That one-shot power can give a talented striker like Njokuani something to think about when the two are engaging on the feet.

The Nigerian took advantage of his length against John Makdessi at UFC 145, battering “The Bull” with a series of kicks to the legs and body en route to a unanimous decision triumph. His reach advantage against dos Anjos will not be quite as pronounced as it was versus Makdessi, but “The Assassin” will still attempt to stay on the outside as much as possible. Njokuani has a diverse array of attacks on the feet, including his Thai plum, but dos Anjos generally does a good job of remaining composed and avoiding damage in exchanges. His solid boxing and leg kicks will allow him to hold his own until he is able to find a way to close the distance against his opponent.

Njokuani has a good sense of timing, but he has struggled against opponents who can out-wrestle him. Dos Anjos is underrated in this area, and if he can avoid tie-ups by getting Njokuani to the ground with an explosive shot, he will have a decent chance at finishing the fight with a submission.

The Pick: Njokuani needs to slow dos Anjos with a steady diet of leg kicks and make use of movement and angles in order to keep the fight upright. Dos Anjos’ striking is good enough to keep Njokuani honest, however, and, eventually, he will get the fight to the mat. From there, he will be able to finish with a third-round submission.

Final Fights » The Prelims