Loading...
This weekend, catch another feisty set of Saturday night fights, with the main card consisting of one bantamweight and two featherweight bouts. The fighting begins at 9 PM ET sharp, leading into the main event between Josh Emmett and Lerone Murphy, so get ready for another bloody brawl as these fighters hit the octagon.
Of course, we’ve taken the time to analyze three of the main card fights, so don’t hesitate to review our picks for each one before deciding whether they’re something you want to fade or follow!
The American Cortavious Romious takes to the octagon with a solid 9-3-0 record against South Korean fighter ChangHo Lee with an impressive 10-1-0 record for a highly anticipated bantamweight bout. Romious is coming off a fresh loss in his most recent bout, while ChangHo Lee will be the favorite in this matchup with a victory in his most recent fight. Both fighters showcase nearly identical measurements, although Lee has a 4” height advantage and a 1” reach advantage.
When it comes down to it, the South Korean showcases a higher consistency of striking with 4.9 landed per minute at a 70% significant strike rate compared to the American’s 2.1 landed per minute at a 37% significant strike rate. Romious may have a slightly better defense, with 3.02 strikes absorbed per minute compared to Lee’s 2.65. The American however, showcases better takedown accuracy at 66% compared to Lee’s 30% despite having fewer attempted takedowns per 15 minutes (1.97) versus the South Korean’s 3.24.
Both fighters finish their bouts with an average of 10 minutes gone, yet ChangHo Lee likes to go for KO/TKO finishes (50%) while Romious is all about winning by submission (56%), so if Lee can stay standing in this one, we think he could go for the knockout in this fight.
As the first main card featherweight fight hits the canvas, American Pat Sabatini (19-5-0) takes on Brazilian Joanderson Brito (17-4-1). Sabatini is coming off a fresh win, while Brito suffered a loss in his most recent matchup to Wiliam Gomis. Both fighters stand at 5 ‘8”, although Brito weighs 7 lbs extra with a 2” reach lead on the American.
Brito has showcased solid striking ability, with 3.02 significant strikes landed per minute versus Sabatini’s 1.94, although the American does boast a higher significant strike rate at 59% versus the Brazilian’s 50%. Both Sabatini and Brito can take hits, with Sabatini absorbing 1.47 per minute (48% defense) and Brito absorbing slightly more at 2.7 per minute (44% defense).
Where Brito has Sabatini beat in KO percentage (47% vs. 11%), Sabatini likes to grapple, with 63% of his victories coming from submission (3.97 takedowns per 15 minutes). However, the Brazilian reps a 72% takedown defense as well as 68% takedown accuracy, so it appears that while both fighters have great standing game, Brito will have the edge in defending against Sabatini’s favored takedowns, so we think the Brazilian may take home the win by KO/TKO.
For the main fight of the night, #8 American fighter Josh Emmett takes on #10 English fighter Lerone Murphy in the highly anticipated featherweight bout. Aside from 1 NC, Lerone Murphy comes into this fight with no losses and a record of 15-0, while the American hits the octagon with a 19-4-0 record and victory in his last bout. As for measurements, Murphy bests Emmett in every category, with a 3” height advantage, 3 lbs weight advantage, and 3.5” reach advantage.
On paper, this fight looks tough for Emmett, bested by Murphy in nearly every category except for wins by submission (11%) where Murphy hasn’t even bothered. While both fighters have 53% wins by decision, Murphy beats Emmett’s 37% KO/TKO rate at 47% and lands 4.8 significant strikes per minute versus Emmett’s 4.04. Their defenses are relatively similar, yet Emmet can take more hits with 4.61 absorbed per minute versus Murphy’s 2.67.
Despite Lerone Murphy winning nearly half his fights from KOs (the other half by decision) he still attempts 1.78 takedowns per 15 minutes with 54% accuracy compared to Emmett’s .91 attempts every 15 minutes at 37%. If both fighters are to dish out and absorb similar blows throughout the fight, we think Murphy will edge out a win by decision at the end of 5 rounds due to his reach advantage and better striking ability.
Liam has been a major sports fan and soccer player for over a decade, with a particular focus on major top-level soccer leagues, including the EPL, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and MLS. He has written numerous promotional articles for various top sportsbooks and continues to publish historical and factual sports articles covering the NFL, MLS, NHL, MLB, EPL and more.