MMA Preview – Mauricio Rua vs Anthony Smith at UFC Fight Night 134
AT A GLANCE
When is UFC Fight Night 134? Sunday 22nd July, 2018 - 18:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Fight Night 134? Barclaycard Arena, Hamburg, Germany
What channel is UFC Fight Night 134 on? BT Sport 2
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night 134? BT Sport subscribers can stream the fight online via the BT Sport website
Are tickets still available for UFC Fight Night 134? http://uk.ufc.com/event-ticket-info?utm_source=ufc&utm_medium=tab&utm_campaign=tickets
THE STATISTICS
THE LOWDOWN
Anthony Smith steps in for Volkan Oezdemir who has been called up for a clash with Alexander Gustafsson instead at UFC 227 and he will be one hell of a challenge for the legend that is Maurício ‘Shogun’ Rua.
Smith has truly lived up to his nickname of ‘Lionheart’ in his UFC career and his aggressive style has created wars in the cage and this is exactly what we expect with his fight with Shogun. He looked phenomenal in his light heavyweight debut against Rashad Evans and it took him less than a minute to overpower the former champ and spark him out cold with a vicious knee in the clinch.
Despite coming towards the end of his career, Shogun is in fine fettle with three wins in a row and is hoping to emulate his knockout finish over Gian Villante in his last outing.
THE PREDICTION
Both are men are knockout artists so expect them to trade from the bell. Shogun is an absolute warrior who rarely fails to succeed in stand-up battles but even though Smith has moved up from middleweight, he will have a reach and height advantage.
Although they deliver punishment, they also receive it, so their defence will be very important in deciding the victor. Smith will leave nothing behind in his search for the finish and will be a solid bet as the underdog but Shogun’s 20 knockouts speak for themselves and he is likely to add his 21st if Smith engages recklessly.
Winner: Shogun via KO/TKO
Striking and grappling stats sourced via FightMetric.
