Former UFC middleweight title contender Jared Cannonier faces off against Sean Strickland in the main event of UFC Vegas 66. The main card has six bouts in total. But, the middleweight bout between Cody Brundage and Michal Oleksiejczuk will kick off the proceedings of the main card.
Michal Oleksiejczuk is a mixed martial artist from the former UFC light heavyweight champ Jan Blachowicz‘s home country, Poland. He has three wins in his last four bouts. Michal has 5 UFC wins in total and he has beaten the likes of Gian Villante, Shamil Gamzatov, and Sam Alvey. For the bout against Sam Alvey, Oleksiejczuk returned to 185lbs. The bout against Cody Brundage will be his second middleweight fight in the UFC.
Abrimos las estelares con enfrentamiento que promete emociones🤝 #UFCVegas66 @CodyBrundage185 vs Michal Oleksiejczuk pic.twitter.com/iJ6QZeRWzj
— UFC Español (@UFCEspanol) December 16, 2022
Cody Brundage made his UFC debut at UFC 266 against Nick Maximov. However, Cody failed to start his UFC journey on a winning note, as Nick beat him via unanimous decision. But, since then, he beat Dalcha Lungiambula via submission and Tresean Gore via knockout. With both Brundage and Oleksiejczuk coming off stoppage wins, the bout between them should be a cracker!
UFC Vegas 66 Prediction: Cody Brundage vs Michal Oleksiejczuk
Stats | Cody Brundage | Michal Oleksiejczuk |
---|---|---|
Wins | 8 | 17 |
Losses | 2 | 5 |
Height | 1.83 m | 1.83 m |
Division | Middleweight | Middleweight |
Reach | 182.9 cm | 188 cm |
Age | 28 | 27 |
Brundage vs Oleksiejczuk: Fight Breakdown
Both Michal Oleksiejczuk and Cody Brundage have great finishing capabilities. But, Michal’s career victories include only 1 submission win and 12 KO wins. But, Cody has 4 KOs and 3 submissions on his record. So the stats suggest that Brundage has a significant advantage on the mat. It is also concerning that Oleksiejczuk has 3 submission losses on his resume as well.
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The 28-year-old American fighter has very low numbers in terms of striking. He lands and absorbs 2.65 strikes per minute. So Michal Oleksiejczuk will definitely have his chances to land big punches. But, Brundage also secures 1.81 takedowns per fight and attempts 1.2 submissions. Michal Oleksiejczuk only holds a takedown defense of only 50%.
Nicknamed “Hussar,” Michal Oleksiejczuk has a much higher landing rate with 4.95 strikes per minute. Although he also absorbs at a rate of 4.19 strikes per minute, Cody may not want to risk getting hit by Michal’s powerful strikes. So there is every chance that Brundage turns his attention to takedowns right away.
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Cody Brundage may have the advantage in this particular fight. He only has one loss via KO in his career. So Michal Oleksiejczuk will have to do extremely well to land the perfect strike to get the stoppage win. However, a single takedown from Brundage may result in a quick submission. The better grappler always has the edge, so Brundage is more likely to get his hand raised.