UFC on FX 7 – Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Thiago Tavares (Breakdown, Preview, Prediction)

News

The opening fight on the card and one that’ll get the crowd really amped up as a native Brazilian takes on a rising prospect. It’s a really interesting matchup as it’s a pair of fighters in desperate need of a win for wildly different reasons.

Fight Breakdown – Once upon a time Thiago Tavares was a burgeoning undefeated prospect, a BJJ whiz on the way up. Now he’s still a fairly predictable fighter; get it to the ground, work submissions and the click. Khabib is a wrestler who does the same thing, except younger and still a prospect as opposed to a known quantity in terms of his ceiling.

Look for this to probably turn into a sloppy, Weidman-Maia type of bad kickboxing match. Grappler vs. Grappler tends to do that, especially when it’s prospect versus failed prospect.

Why It Matters – Khabib needs a win to keep moving up. Tavares needs one to get back on track and back up.

Prediction – Khabib Nurmagomedov