Preview: UFC Fight Night 196 ‘Costa vs. Vettori’

Light Heavyweights

NR | Nicolae Negumereanu (10-1, 1-1 UFC) vs. NR | Isaac Villanueva (18-12, 1-3 UFC)

ODDS: Negumereanu (-220), Villanueva (+180)

One of the first late-notice UFC signings during the coronavirus pandemic, Villanueva has attempted to provide action each time out, even if it has not always worked in his favor. “Hurricane Ike” is a fairly one-dimensional headhunter, which, when combined with his lack of athleticism, makes him an open target for opponents. Villanueva has managed to fight through damage at points, but save for a January starching of Vinicius Moreira, he has gotten stopped in each of his UFC fights. Villanueva looks to rebound from a June loss to Marcin Prachnio against Negumereanu. Romania’s Negumereanu got to the UFC by beating questionable competition on a weak regional scene, and his 2019 UFC debut went about as poorly as possible, as he looked completely unprepared for the grimy aggression of Saparbek Safarov. However, against Aleksa Camur in June, Negumereanu looked much improved against a more patient opponent, taking the initiative to apply pressure and hunt for the knockout—even if his constant fence grabs probably should have turned his decision victory into a draw. There is not much depth to either man’s game, and while Negumereanu is the likelier of the two to concede ground, he is also the more durable fighter with at least a little bit of a mix-up in his game; as such, he should be able to get Villanueva to the mat. It will not be pretty, but at least there is the potential for enough action to be entertaining. The pick is Negumereanu via decision.

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