UFC 255 tournament bout
This weekend, a flyweight title bout will headline a UFC numbered tournament for the first time since 2015. Deiveson Figueiredo’s debut defense will headline UFC 255 at UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
The paid card show will be opened by the MMA legend, ex-UFC light heavyweight champion “Shogun” Rua, who will have a rematch with the Scot Craig.
Rua has lost only once since 2014 – by knockout to Anthony Smith in the summer of 2018. Since then, Mauricio knocked out Tyson Pedro, drew his first fight with Craig, and defeated fellow Brazilian legend António Rogerio Nogueira in July by split decision in a rematch.
Craig is also undefeated in his last three fights. Before the fight with Shogun, he strangled Vinicius Moreira in the first round, and then did the same with Gadzhimurad Antigulov in the same show with the fight Rua – Nogueira 2.
Prediction for the fight
Craig can be good on the stand and submit on the ground, but he’s still more of a grappler than a striker. However, his open style sometimes hurts him, because of this he can be knocked out or he can “run out of gas”, as was the case in the first fight with Rua, when he started well, but then allowed the opponent to finish the fight with takedowns and holding on the ground to a draw.
In his best years, Rua would have easily dealt with an opponent like Craig. However, “Shogun” is far from its peak, its power is waning, and the chin is no longer as strong as before. A year ago, Rua almost lost to Craig, and this time Paul may no longer make the same mistakes.
Craig wins by knockout in the 2nd round
Main card
Deiveson Figueiredo – Alex Perez
Valentina Shevchenko – Jennifer Maya
Mike Perry – Tim Means
Kathleen Chookagian – Cynthia Calvillo
Mauricio Rua – Paul Craig
preliminary card
Brandon Moreno – Brandon Royval
Joaquin Buckley – Jordan Wright
Antonina Shevchenko – Ariane Lipsky
Nicholas Dalby – Daniel Rodriguez
Early preliminary card
Alan Juban – Jared Gooden
Kyle Dokos – Dustin Stoltzfuss
Louis Koske – Sasha Palatnikov
