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

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FLYWEIGHTS

Patrick Holohan (11-1-1, 2-1 UFC) vs. Vaughan Lee (14-10-1, 3-4 UFC): Ireland’s Holohan draws England’s Lee in a solid clash at 125 pounds. The Irishman rebounded from a loss to Chris Kelades by beating Shane Howell in January, while Lee has been out of action since a knockout at the hands of Iuri Alcantara more than a year ago. Holohan is well-rounded, with a nice in-and-out striking arsenal on the feet, decent wrestling chops and an aggressive submission game on the mat. Lee can do a bit of everything, with solid combination striking on the feet, some wrestling skill and a decent grappling game. Lee is not an easy out despite his underwhelming record, and he could cause problems if the Irishman is not careful. However, the pick is Holohan by decision.

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS

Ilir Latifi (9-4, 2-2 UFC) vs. Hans Stringer (22-6-3, 1-1 UFC): Sweden’s Latifi takes on Holland’s Stringer in a decent light heavyweight bout. Stringer faded against Fabio Maldonado and bowed out in the second round in October after winning his debut, while Latifi fell to Jan Blachowicz to halt a two-fight winning streak. Latifi is a wrestler by trade and puts his powerful frame to good use with authoritatively finished takedowns and nice submissions in transition, but he also packs real pop in his hands. Stringer is mostly a wrestle-grappler with decent takedowns and top control. Latifi should be the better wrestler, and he is certainly more dangerous. The pick is Latifi by knockout in the first round.

LIGHTWEIGHTS

Mickael Lebout (13-4-1, 0-1 UFC) vs. Teemu Packalen (7-0, 0-0 UFC): Finland’s Packalen replaces Jake Matthews on late notice and draws France’s Lebout, who dropped his UFC debut to Sergio Moraes in April. Lebout is not terribly athletic or powerful, but he is a reasonably skilled striker who works behind a crisp jab and can occasionally find a nice combination flow. Packalen is huge at 6-foot-1 and has good physical tools, but he is still relatively raw, particularly as a striker. If he can get the fight to the ground, however, he has a slick submission repertoire. It would not be surprising if Packalen were able to muscle Lebout to the ground and finish him, but the more likely scenario involves the Frenchman piecing him up with combinations at range. The pick is Lebout by decision.

FEATHERWEIGHTS

Robert Whiteford (11-2, 1-1 UFC) vs. Paul Redmond (10-5, 0-1 UFC): Scotland’s Whiteford returns home and draws Ireland’s Redmond in a fun featherweight matchup. Whiteford has split his two UFC outings, most recently beating Daniel Pineda at UFC 171, while Redmond was blown out of the water by uber-prospect Mirsad Bektic in January. Although he can strike a bit, the core of the Scotsman’s game lies in the clinch, where the longtime judoka has strong control, crisp knees and an array of trips and throws. Redmond has some skill as a boxer, and while his wrestling is subpar, he has a nasty submission arsenal on the ground. Whiteford should be able to grind this out in the clinch and from top position, earning a decision.

HEAVYWEIGHTS

Daniel Omielanczuk (16-5-1, 1-2 UFC) vs. Chris de la Rocha (3-0, 0-0 UFC): The debuting de la Rocha steps up on short notice and draws Poland’s Omielanczuk, who has dropped two in a row since winning his first UFC bout, the most recent a decision loss to Anthony Hamilton in April. Omielanczuk is a solid striker with a decent arsenal of punch-kick combinations and good work in the clinch, but he is not much of a wrestler or grappler. De la Rocha is mostly a striker himself, with a crisp, high-output boxing game that relies on a hearty 1-2 and a willingness to exchange in the pocket. If the American had a full camp, this would be a more intriguing fight, but the pick is Omielanczuk by decision.

BANTAMWEIGHTS

Marcus Brimage (7-4, 4-3 UFC) vs. Jimmie Rivera (16-1, 0-0 UFC): With losses in three of his last four fights, the veteran Brimage gets one more chance to hang around the UFC and draws debuting Team Tiger Schulmann product Rivera, a longtime veteran of the east coast MMA scene. Brimage is a southpaw striker, and a pretty good one, with a nice straight left and left kick, but he does not throw enough volume and tends to leave himself too far outside. Like Brimage, Rivera, too, is mostly a striker, with a nice technical boxing game and excellent takedown defense. This could be slow if neither fighter finds his range, but I marginally favor Brimage. The pick is Brimage by decision.

Follow Sherdog.com lead analyst Patrick Wyman on Twitter.