The UFC Kingdom Showdown: Will Umar Crown or Fall to Mario?
Umar Nurmagomedov, hailing from Russia, faces one of America’s very own in the form of Mario Bautista. Both fighters have the same amount of experience in their fighting careers. Currently, Nurmagomedov has a record of 18-1-0 versus Bautista’s record of 16-2-0. Nurmagomedov has suffered a loss recently in his last five fights, and it's likely he regards it as a simple bump in the road. This loss was suffered at the hands of Merab Dvalishvili. The only way it would remain a mental hurdle would be if he acknowledged it as the first loss of his professional career without seeing how he could improve from it. Admittedly, though, it was a tough call with Nurmagomedov simply not getting the decision win. Bautista, though, is no stranger to decision fights, as four of his past five fights ended with the victory being in Bautista’s favor. Bautista has also thrown more strikes than Nurmagomedov. Nurmagomedov can counter the strikes, though, as Bautista lands fewer takedowns on average. Bautista, though, ranks lower against Nurmagomedov in the Bantamweight Division. This lower rank could give more incentive for the underdog to come out on top, especially to retain his past five-fight winning streak.
Bautista can even turn the takedown around, as he has had one grappling submission in his past five fights. Nurmagomedov has only secured a KO/TKO in his last five fights, but secured it with a nasty left hook. The best bet for Mario would probably be to wait for Nurmagomedov to present an opportunity on the ground, leaving an opening for an armbar or rear-naked choke. Nurmagomedov, though, carries a significant threat while on the ground and could reverse it with a triangle choke.
The surprising thing is that coming into this fight, Mario is three years older than his opponent, which is the opposite of Reinier De Ridder vs. Brendan Allen, where the older De Ridder faces the younger Allen. However, this hasn’t slowed him down as Bautista lands more strikes than Nurmagomedov, even leading him on average, in KO/TKOs per fight. If Nurmagomedov seeks to gain the advantage, it must be early on, and he needs to capitalize on his left hook. The overall factor should be can Nurmagomedov hold his own while standing during the first three rounds? If so, we could see the decision go to him instead of the hungry Bautista.
