Two relative UFC newcomers keep the main card rolling at UFC Fight Night 36. Brazilian native Viscardi Andrade meets Swedish fighter Nicholas Musoke in a clash of two fighters who both made successful UFC debuts and look to build on their momentum. Andrade earned a TKO stoppage against Bristol Marunde in a somewhat early stoppage, while Mosuke pulled an armbar out of a hat against Alessio Sakara to pull off the upset. One of these guys will leave the Octagon with his first loss, while the other will be 2-0.
Fighter Summary
Viscardi Andrade (17-6 overall, 1-0 UFC)
Strengths: Well rounded fighter, great grappling and BJJ
Weaknesses: Stand up defense
Nico Musoke (11-2 overall, 1-0 UFC)
Strengths: Well rounded, sneaky submissions
Weaknesses: Lacks elite striking
Fight Breakdown – In terms of their skill sets, both of these guys are very similar to each other. They actually mirror each other in many ways: they’re both around the same age and size, both fighting for only the second time in the UFC and both have similar win streaks going on, if you don’t count that NC on Musoke’s record.
Andrade is comfortable on his feet, but he’s a grappler at heart and it shows in his fights. It’s something he can rely on to either put his opponent in a bad spot or get himself out of trouble when he gets rocked. He will find a way to clinch and get his opponent down with a well executed throw or trip. Musoke has to be wary of that, because Andrade has a very competent ground game, be it GNP or submissions. Andrade will find openings for submissions and if Musoke’s one submission loss taught him anything, he better be aware of the positions he is in at all times.
Musoke is also a very competent grappler, and he may be more eager than Andrade to lock horns. Neither guy has what you would call rocket hands, although Andrade may have a slight advantage in that department, but neither guy is the next Johny Hendricks, and they’re both also durable, so it will take a lot for a KO to happen. If it does, it won’t be a one punch wallop that nobody saw coming, it will be in the middle of a tussle when both guys are swinging for the fences.
Musoke will probably want to avoid that more than Andrade and Musoke is excellent on the ground both with his offense and defense. He’s also not the type of guy to lay and pray. If he gets Andrade in a trouble spot, he’ll go for the kill, but he has to conserve some energy and not get impatient. He already lost once by burning through all of his fuel too early while going for a finish on the ground, and against a grappler as good as Andrade, that would be disastrous.
These two will feel each other out until one of them gets the upper hand in the stand up, and it may not even get to that point. They will definitely test each other against the cage, so takedown offense/defense will be huge in this fight.
Key to Victory: Who can control in the clinch and grappling?
Don’t be surprised to see a number of reversals and near submissions in this fight. If you pitted them against each other 10 times, Andrade might get 5 and Musoke the other 5. It’s that close. Unfortunately, they’ll only meet this once and where they go afterwards will be significantly affected by the outcome here. So whoever makes the most of the opportunities in the cage and capitalizes to make the right decisions is going to emerge victorious. This could end in the first minute just as easily as it could go to hard-fought split decision. Whoever seizes the moment and gains the upper hand in the grappling is very likely to win.
Why It Matters – The Welterweight division has been turned on it’s head in recent times, with the not-so-surprising semi-retirement and championship relinquishment of long-time champion Georges St. Pierre. The list of contenders is long and the belt is essentially up for grabs now, but these guys are nowhere near that picture yet. Realistically, they’re two of the younger fighters in the division and they both have a good amount of experience, so with a few impressive performances, the sky is the limit. Musoke got Alessio Sakara for his UFC debut and that’s a tough test. He passed with flying colors, although it looked very bad for him for a few moments there. Andrade also earned a TKO stoppage. It helps that they’re both from countries around the world, which will help to expand both their profiles and the profile of the banner they’re fighting under.
A huge win here only boosts the victor even more and will probably earn them a date with someone high up the ladder. The division is shook up now, but new blood is always welcome and Andrade and Musoke can make an impression come fight night. The fact that they’re on the main card states the case. Can you imagine seeing these two guys, both fighting for only their second time in the UFC, fighting on a main card just a few years back? It’s happening now and they have a golden opportunity. Based on their past performances, Musoke might be the guy who is most ready to seize it.
Prediction – Musoke
