UFC 296 is going to be another exciting event as the flyweight division will see Tagir Ulanbekov facing off against Cody Durden. Both the fighters are coming off with a win so it will definitely be interesting to see which fighter will be the last man standing on December 17.
Both Fighters entered the UFC in the same year
The Russian fighter Tagir Ulanbekov made his UFC debut in 2020 and has won three out of his four fights since then. His only defeat came against Tim Elliott in 2022 via unanimous decision. Ulanbekov’s most recent fight was against Nate Mannes, where the Russian won by guillotine submission in the first round. He will be looking to carry that momentum into his next fight on December 17.
Cody Durden also entered the UFC in 2020 and has a 5-2-1 record. His first loss came against Jimmy Flick via flying triangle choke submission and another one came against Muhammad Mokaev last year, too via submission. Since that defeat, Durden has made a great comeback and is on a four-fight win streak. By looking at his athleticism and improved play, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that he is at the prime of his career.
Why Tagir Ulanbekov can win ?
Tagir’s loss against Tim Elliott showed him several flaws in his game, especially in the defensive fighting. He had a lot of trouble covering the distance and dealing with his opponent’s movement style. However, in his fight on November 5, Ulanbekov was responding fast and hence got a submission victory. This was his seventh professional victory via submission. Ulanbekov’s Dagestani-style chain wrestling method is really impressive and he is great at controlling his opponents’ wrists, so he may find himself in some advantageous positions if Durden tries to test him in grappling.
If the Russian wants to win this fight, then he will have to avoid striking exchanges and shoot for takedowns during this fight. Durden is a tough guy and exchanging strikes with him and testing durability is definitely not a good idea. Tagir should tire him out with his wrestling and force him to make mistakes on the ground. Ulanbekov can threaten submissions from multiple positions.
Why Cody Durden can win ?
When Cody lost to Mokaev last year, he decided to move his camp to his hometown and work on himself. This worked for him, as he has won his last four fights. Durden wins on the back of his tenacity and willingness to try is hardest in the final round. He constantly tries for takedowns and is actually good at scoring them and breaking his opponent. But there have been instances where he wrestled in compromised positions and weared himself out. He will have to let the fight come to him otherwise he could put himself in a tough position against a lethal submission artist.
Durden should have the striking advantage and as long as he is able to preserve his energy in the early rounds he should come out strong. If Durden can lead the fight he will get an easy win over Ulanbekov.
Also Read: Dana White reveals the first fighter for UFC 300 match card
Prediction
It will be interesting to see the Russian face his toughest opponent since Tim Elliot. As far as wrestling goes, Tagir’s style is better and he is active enough with his ground strikes to make it effective. Durden is an amazing fighter, but his strengths are more defensive and transitional as opposed to offensive, like Ulanbekov’s. The odds of this fight seem to be slightly in Ulanbekov’s favor. Durden is a tough fighter and will be able to break through many submissions during the fight. However, the constant threat from Tagir will be too much and he might get this win unless he spends his entire time in the fight just defending.
