Can ‘Tarzan’ Overcome ‘Fluffy’ at UFC Fight Night?
Sean Strickland, AKA ‘Tarzan’, comes to claim the pelt of ‘Fluffy’, who is known as Anthony Hernandez. The date is set for February 21st and will rock the entire card of UFC Fight Night for the Men’s Middleweight Division. Even Israel Adesanya would pause to recognize that the trajectory of his career is being mimicked here, as ‘Fluffy’ could move up in the rankings to a championship title. However, with a record of 15-2-0 and one no contest, Anthony lacks the experience his opponent carries. This experience is the reason why Strickland ranks third in the rankings and carries a record of 29-7-0. The fight itself will take place at the Toyota Center in Houston.
Strickland will relish the fight itself as he is coming off a title fight, which resulted in his loss at UFC 312 against Dricus Du Plessis. So really, this fight will give him redemption and further opportunity to take a title fight again. His opponent is an orthodox fighter, as is he, which makes it an even fight as far as footing is concerned. One major difference is the number of significant strikes landed per minute. ‘Tarzan’ simply lands more strikes than Anthony, putting him as the more probable aggressor. He will have to be careful, as being an aggressor matches the likelihood that he will receive more blows per minute than Anthony could land. His defence will be tested, but so far, he seems to have a better one while standing or on the ground than his opponent.
Anthony, on the other hand, is as accurate as a sniper and can land strikes with deadly precision. Also, he can manipulate the ground just as well as when he’s standing. In fact, he’s submitted a fair majority of his opponents after many successful takedowns. He could likely have a successful takedown on ‘Tarzan', but Strickland is used to defending against submissions, making this a tough gambit to pull off. He may attempt it because his morale is at an all-time high. ‘Fluffy’ is coming off a five-fight win streak. This carries a boost and puts Strickland on notice that this isn’t just any fighter coming for him at UFC Fight Night.
The biggest difference between these fighters is the tendencies they have established in their current fight careers. Anthony is an accomplished grappler, while Strickland is used to standing and defending against any quick finishes. The decision could go to ‘Tarzan’ if he lands enough strikes and shows dominance on the ground. That is a big if, as Anthony is more likely to establish a dominant position for a longer period. This, coupled with ‘Fluffy’s’ tendency to absorb fewer strikes than Strickland, makes him the most probable winner from a fight ending in a decision.
The crowd and predictions paint Anthony as the most likely winner of this fight. It's understandable because he’s everything that can give Strickland a problem throughout the fight. ‘Tarzan’ could win if he stays away from any strikes that land while keeping his strikes as accurate as possible. That would be his only saving grace, but it's a mixed bag because he’ll have to get in close. Then once he’s inside, Anthony could go for a takedown and hammer fist away a victory from the ground. The only way to secure the knowledge of who wins this yin and yang matchup is to watch it all take place at 8:00 p.m. EST.
