MMAjunkie Radio co-host and MMAjunkie contributor Dan Tom breaks down the UFC’s top bouts. Today, we look at the co-main event for UFC 235.
UFC 235 takes place Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and UFC Fight Pass.
Tyron Woodley (19-3-1 MMA, 9-2-1 UFC)
Staple info:
- Height: 5’9″ Age: 36 Weight: 170 lbs. Reach: 74″
- Last fight: Submission win over Darren Till (Sep. 8, 2018)
- Camp: ATT Evoloution/Roufusport (Missouri/Milwaukee)
- Stance/striking style: Orthodox/kickboxing
- Risk management: Excellent
Supplemental info:
+ UFC welterweight champion
+ 2x Division 1 All-American wrestler
+ Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt
+ 7 KO victories
+ 5 submission wins
+ 9 first-round finishes
+ KO power
+ Fast-twitch athlete
^ Closes distance quickly
+ Devastating right hand
^ Coming forward or off the counter
+ Heavy leg kicks
+ Strong inside the clinch
^ 95 percent takedown defense
+ Explosive power-double takedown
+ Solid transitional grappler
Kamaru Usman (14-1 MMA, 9-0 UFC)
Staple info:
- Height: 6’0″ Age: 31 Weight: 170 lbs. Reach: 76″
- Last fight: Decision win over Rafael dos Anjos(Nov. 30, 2018)
- Camp: Hard Knocks 365 (Florida)
- Stance/striking style: Switch-stance/kickboxing
- Risk management: Good
Supplemental info:
+ “The Ultimate Fighter 21” alum
+ NCAA Division II national champ
+ 3x NCAA All-American
+ 6 KO victories
+ 1 submission win
+ 3 first-round finishes
+ Consistent pace and pressure
+ Good feints and footwork
+ Improved overall striking
^ Puts together punches well
+ Strong inside the clinch
+ Excellent takedown ability
^ In the open or against the fence
+ Superb top game and control
^ Rides and transitions intelligently
Next page: Point of interest: The cost of pressure
Point of interest: The cost of pressure
The co-main event for UFC 235 features an intriguing welterweight title fight between two fighters who embrace pressure in different ways.
Kamaru Usman, who stepped onto the MMA stage with a primary skill set of wrestling, has made marked jumps in his striking ability under the care of Henri Hooft.
A Dutch style striking coach who emphasizes pressure, Hooft has been able to help Usman blossom on the feet, throwing shots much smoother in transition and off of the breaks. In addition, the Nigeria-born fighter also appears to be a natural when it comes to his footwork.
Whether he is feinting forward or shifting his stance in combination, Usman will persistently corral his opposition toward the cage, attacking them with impunity whenever they step near it. Still, as good as Usman has been with this approach, he’s yet to face a devastating counter striker in the octagon.
Enter Tyron Woodley.
A standout Mizzou wrestler, Woodley has always shown a knack for countering pressure coming his way with both takedowns and strikes since early on in his MMA career.
Making steady but consistent strides with this striking throughout the years, Woodley has developed into a dangerous knockout threat on his feet. Though relying on it less frequently in recent parts of his career, the champion possesses one of the fastest blitzes in the sport (running neck and neck with Yoel Romero, for my money).
Closing the distance at the drop of a dime, Woodley can accurately target his opponent’s head with his crushing right cross. And since making the trek to train more consistently with Duke Roufus, the St. Louis native has done a better job of attaching kicks to his combinations and moving more fluid overall.
Still, Woodley ultimately seems to be a counter fighter at heart, a sensibility that seems to be a two-way street in regards to his perception. Tactically, the champion’s style of walking himself back toward the fence has served him well in the sense that he is the one who is dictating the exchanges, subtly allowing his opponents into his range.
The question, however, is how much riskier will Woodley’s tactic/tendency be against Usman, a fighter who does his best work along the fenceline?
Next point of interest: Who wins the wrestling, anyway?
Point of interest: Who wins the wrestling, anyway?
Given the inevitable tie-ups that exist on paper, many may wonder who will end up winning out the wrestling exchanges.
Although Woodley – who was a Big-12 champ and Mizzou Tiger standout – comes from a Division 1 program (as opposed to Division 2), I would argue that the MMA wrestling may playout closer than what one can assume from accolades.
Usman, a former All-American wrestler who has always shown the freakish strength to finish from sometimes surprising positions, is capable of grounding opponents in a multitude of ways inside the cage. Whether he is hitting takedowns in the open or chaining his attempts along the fence, Usman can pretty much do it all. Although he has made a concerted effort to stand in recent fights, I would not be surprised to see Usman return to his wrestling roots for this matchup (especially early).
However, taking the champion down is easier said than done.
Woodley’s successful takedown defense rate of 95 percent is no accident. Embracing his thick welterweight frame, Woodley seamlessly drops his hips and weight into his lower half anytime he is engaged with wrestling offense. And though you can criticize the champ for his lack of work inside of the clinch (or even off of the breaks), his prioritization of defense and position seems to pay off more times than not.
Still, should Usman end up on top of Woodley, then we will more than likely have a better view of his ground game’s ceiling. Freakish takedown ability aside, Usman bears an impressive intelligence in transition that could pose some problems.
Demonstrating excellent positional awareness, Usman always seems to make high-percentage choices whether he is passing or punching. Using wrist-rides and controls to collapse posts and crush spirits, Usman will seamlessly hit his transitions while cooking his opposition underneath him.
That said, Woodley – the recent recipient of a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt – is no slouch when it comes to transitioning on the mat (something he reminded us of his last time out).
A solid positional player, Woodley knows how to secure a spot while doing damage in the process. And if you go back to his Strikeforce career, you will see savvy submissions and transitional grappling on display – something that Usman may force out of the champion come Saturday.
Next point of interest: Odds, opinion and prediction
Point of interest: Odds and opinions
The oddsmakers and public seem to be siding with the sitting champion, listing Woodley -165 and Usman +145 as of this writing.
Initially, I was a bit surprised to see this matchup lined so closely. However, after diving into the tape (as well as the history of Woodley traditionally getting little love on the betting lines), I find myself in agreement with the spread above.
When you look back at Woodley’s career (from his close win over Nathan Coy to his losses against Nate Marquardt and Jake Shields), durable, pressure-fighting grapplers have seemed to be his stylistic kryptonite. To quote Joe Rogan, “those muscles need fuel,” and the sustainment of Woodley’s attack has always felt like the big question for him when his fights prolong past the first.
However, in Woodley’s defense, I would argue that the champ has been showing improvements in regards to his energy management dating back to his battle with Kelvin Gastelum. And in his title defense against Demian Maia – a fight that received heavy criticism – Woodley barely took any heavy breaths despite being forced to defend shots for five rounds (with one decent arm, no less).
Many may pick on Woodley for his performance against Maia, but that performance is what is keeping me from picking against him here. I believe that Woodley has shored up many of the holes that may have hampered him in the past, making for a difficult man to beat on all counts.
Still, regardless of that, I do think that this fight can get dicier the longer it goes. No one is questioning Woodley’s stopping power in regards to ending things early, but Usman appears to have some solid durability, seldom showing to be hurt inside of the octagon. Not only that, but Usman’s high-percentage sensibilities stick with him in regards to how he enters space (maintaining intelligent angles and head placements).
Nevertheless, unless Usman can sting or insert doubt into the champion’s head early, then I have a hard time seeing Woodley (who has had the relentless Ben Askren for a training partner this camp) not being prepared for what’s ahead. Although a stoppage wouldn’t necessarily surprise me, I see this being a competitive decision win for Woodley.
Prediction: Woodley by decision
For more on UFC 235, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
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