UFC on ESPN+ 24 breakdown: How will Junior Dos Santos handle Curtis Blaydes' wrestling attack?
MMA Junkie fight analyst Dan Tom takes a closer look at the keys in the UFC Raleigh headliner between Junior Dos Santos and Curtis Blaydes.
MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom breaks down the UFC’s top bouts. Today, we look at the main event for UFC on ESPN+ 24.
UFC on ESPN+ 24 takes place Saturday at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C. The card streams on ESPN+.
Curtis Blaydes (12-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC)
Staple info:
- Height: 6’4″ Age: 28 Weight: 251 lbs. Reach: 80″
- Last fight: TKO win over Shamil Abdurakhimov (Sept. 7, 2019)
- Camp: Elevation Fight Team (Denver, Co.)
- Stance/striking style: Orthodox/kickboxing
- Risk management: Fair
Supplemental info:
+ NJCAA national heavyweight wrestling title
+ Amateur MMA accolades
+ 9 KO victories
+ 2 first-round finishes
+ KO power
+ Aggressive pace and pressure
+ Diligently working striking
^ Shows fight-to-fight improvements
+ Explosive power-double takedown
^ Changes level well
+ Strong inside the clinch
^ Body locks, trips, suplexes
+ Solid top game
^ Floats, wrist-rides, strikes
Junior Dos Santos (21-6 MMA, 15-5 UFC)
Staple info:
- Height: 6’4″ Age: 35 Weight: 249 lbs. Reach: 77″
- Last fight: TKO loss to Francis Ngannou(June 29, 2019)
- Camp: American Top Team (Florida)
- Stance/striking style: Orthodox/boxing
- Risk management: Fair
Supplemental info:
+ Former UFC heavyweight champion
+ Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt
+ Multiple grappling accolades
+ 15 KO victories
+ 1 submission win
+ 4 first-round finishes
+ KO power
+ Solid feints and footwork
+ Consistent pace and pressure
+ Excellent boxing ability
^ Accurate shot selection
+ Good counter wrestler
+ Underrated grappling ability
^ Shows solid positional awareness
Point of interest: Familiar fisticuffs
The main event in Raleigh features a fun heavyweight fight with familiar themes for both parties on the feet.
Curtis Blaydes, a wrestler who carries a bit of amateur kickboxing experience, shows consistent fight-to-fight improvements each time out. From his developing footwork to his commitment to combination striking, the 28-year-old talent seems to be right at home when pressuring forward.
Whether Blaydes is working behind his jab or rolling his head off of his crosses, his time spent training at the Elevation Fight Team and BANG Muay Thai has come through in recent years. However, as we saw in both of his fights with Francis Ngannou, Blaydes is not beyond being countered for his aggressive approaches, which is what makes this matchup with a similarly-themed opponent so interesting.
Enter the old guard, Junior Dos Santos.
Fighting out of a more boxing-centric stance, Dos Santos has long been known as one of the heavyweight’s crisper strikers, formerly ruling the division with an iron fist. Working behind the pressure of his jabs and left-handed feints, Dos Santos will set up devastating overhands and uppercuts (strikes that comprise the majority of the former champion’s highlight reel).
Though the Brazilian’s right hand is often known as the clean-up hitter, his left is arguably more accurate, particularly when applying his hooks offensively off of his jabs and feints. Dos Santos also does a deceptively good job of placing check hooks to cover his tracks or drawing his opponents into them through baiting fakes –– both of which will serve him will on paper against Blaydes.
That said, Dos Santos will have to be careful about over-committing to his power shots if he means to maintain the high ground.
Next point of interest: Repaving wrestling paths