Preview: UFC on ESPN 21 ‘Brunson vs. Holland’

Heavyweight

NR | Tai Tuivasa (10-3, 4-3 UFC) vs. NR | Harry Hunsucker (6-3, 0-0 UFC)

ODDS: N/A

Now back in the win column, Tuivasa can hopefully go about realizing his considerable potential. Heading into his 2017 UFC debut, the Australian was obviously a prospect to watch. Shockingly quick and athletic despite his stout frame, “Bam Bam” had a wild approach that often got him in bad positions, but he could rely on his power and athleticism to turn things around and plow towards a finish. That held true in Tuivasa’s first few UFC fights, and between his knockout power and the fact that he was connecting with the audience, the UFC tabbed him as a potential star. His first big test went well enough, as he was quick and powerful enough to take a decision against Andrei Arlovski. However, a main event slot against Junior dos Santos resulted in a knockout loss, and a flat performance against Blagoy Ivanov did not recapture any momentum. Still, it was his fight against Sergey Spivak where the situation became overwhelmingly worrisome for Tuivasa. His formless approach finally came back to bite him, with Spivak outwrestling Tuivasa handily on his way to a shocking submission win. On the plus side, Tuivasa seemed to have a smarter approach in his last fight—a first-round knockout of Stefan Struve. Tuivasa seemed a bit more patient and relied on his clinch, which is where he eventually initiated the fight-ending sequence. It is unclear if that will carry forward into his next fight, but he will look to continue his momentum against a late replacement in Hunsucker. This marks the second time that Hunsucker has stepped in on short notice for a fight inside the UFC Apex, the first being a loss to Jared Vanderaa on Dana White’s Contender Series in November. Hunsucker has the requisite heavyweight power and a power submission game that could get him a UFC win down the road, but as was the case in the Vanderaa fight, he figures to be physically overwhelmed against a larger opponent. Add in Tuivasa’s athletic advantages and the fact that Hunsucker has never gone past the first round, and this looks like a quick win for the Aussie. The pick is Tuivasa via first-round knockout.

Continue Reading » Yanez vs. Lopez