Diggin’ Deep on UFC on FOX 20: Holm vs Shevchenko Fight Pass prelims

Well this feels like a let down. The UFC had been promoting Fight Pass in recent months by putting some high level fights on their online subscription service such as Aljamain Sterling vs. Bryan Caraway. Thus we’ve come to expect some high quality fights. That isn’t the case this time around as the Fight Pass contests are the usual low-level fights we all came to know at the inception of its inception. Well… kind of.

Some may argue that Alex Oliveira is a high level fighter – by UFC standards of course — as he did headline a card with Donald Cerrone in his last appearance. No offense to Oliveira, but he was never a valid headliner. The fact he was a late replacement provides further proof of that. That doesn’t take away from his ability to entertain as he has consistently put on a good show. That shouldn’t be a problem against James Moontasri, another consistently exciting fighter. The other fights on Fight Pass? It’s debutants, disappointing prospects, and vets hanging on by a thread.

The Fight Pass prelims will begin at 4:00 PM ET/1:00 PM PT.

Alex Oliveira (13-4-1) vs. James Moontasri (9-3), Welterweight

Though this Fight Pass headliner isn’t up to par with what the UFC has given us lately, that doesn’t mean we should turn our nose up at it as these two know how to throwdown.

Oliveira fought five times within his first year within the UFC, taking a number of short notice bouts, swinging between both welterweight and lightweight. It appears he’ll be staying at welterweight as this wasn’t a short notice fight for him. He is still relatively young in the sport, having turned professional less than five years ago.

Moontasri has had his ups and downs in the UFC, opening up his career at lightweight before deciding the weight cut was too much for him. He showed great energy in his welterweight debut against Anton Zafir, but Zafir hasn’t proven to be UFC caliber in addition to being a short-notice opponent. Moontasri’s other UFC victory was over Cody Pfister, another fighter who doesn’t appear to be on the UFC level. This fight is pivotal for him if he wants to be more than an action fighter.

There is no mystery to Moontasri’s game as he is a striker first, second, and third. It doesn’t get much clearer when Fight Metric shows him attempting zero takedowns over the course of his four UFC fights. Known for his wide variety of spinning strikes and aggression, Moontasri is cat quick to start throwing his fists in combination following a one of his flashier maneuvers. He’s prone to counters and can be out of control at times, but he normally utilizes good movement and distance management which helps to negate his lack of size at welterweight. He typically shows good takedown defense, though he did struggle with the athletic Kevin Lee to stay upright.

Lee is worth mentioning as he is the most comparable of Moontasri’s past opponents to Oliveira in terms of athletic ability and length. Wrestling ability is a different story, though Oliveira isn’t a slouch in that department by any means as he uses his physical gifts in combination with a dogged determination to finish the job as opposed to traditional technique. That same aggression can hurt him as a grappler as well as he’s gone after submissions only to give up position in the effort. Oliveira striking technique has proven inconsistent as he’ll charge wildly swinging his fists at times and circle while picking apart with a jab and quick 1-2 combinations. The clinch may be his greatest strength as he has a strong Thai plum along with knees and elbows when he pushes the fight against the fence.

Moontasri is the more technical striker which could very well give him the advantage that he needs to take the win. He isn’t a bad scrambler either, but Oliveira’s athleticism, speed, and strength will probably allow him to beat Moontasri in transition. Though Oliveira still doesn’t use his 76″ reach to its fullest extent, he uses it well enough that it – along with the threat of a takedown — should be able to neutralize Moontasri’s flashy and powerful techniques. Regardless of who wins, I expect this to be a damn good contest. Oliveira via TKO of the 3rd round

Hector Urbina (17-9-1) vs. George Sullivan (17-5), Welterweight

This fight is happening. I’m aware of how dumb that sounds, but how many times can I say …

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