MMA Preview – Myles Jury vs Chad Mendes at UFC Fight Night 133
AT A GLANCE
When is UFC Fight Night 133? Sunday 15th July, 2018 - 01:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Fight Night 133? CenturyLink Arena, Boise, Idaho
What channel is UFC Fight Night 133 on? BT Sport 2
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night 133? BT Sport subscribers can stream the fight online via the BT Sport website
Are tickets still available for UFC Fight Night 133? http://uk.ufc.com/event-ticket-info?utm_source=ufc&utm_medium=tab&utm_campaign=tickets
THE STATISTICS
THE LOWDOWN
Chad Mendes makes his long-awaited return after serving a two-year ban for a doping violation and is desperate to get back into the octagon and remind everyone he still has what it takes to compete at the top of the featherweight division.
However, he has no tune up fight on his return as Myles Jury is the man welcoming him back. Jury suffered his first career losses in 2015 but bounced back with two great wins over Mike De La Torre (TKO) and Rich Glenn (decision).
Meanwhile, Mendes has been training like a beast at Team Alpha Male and is raring to go. Prior to his ban, Mendes suffered knockout losses to Conor McGregor and Frankie Edgar but he was still regarded as one of the best in the division so it will be fascinating to see how he performs upon his return.
THE PREDICTION
Jury is slick on the mat as a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu but he will no doubt try and keep the fight standing to utilize his huge reach advantage. Mendes is no stranger to giving up height and reach and relies on his explosiveness to close the distance and mix in takedowns with power strikes.
He has legitimate knockout power but considering the long lay-off, we could easily see him play it safe and rely on his exceptional wrestling to negate the stand-up threat.
Seven inches of height and reach advantage is one thing but combining that with the aggressive and technical onslaught is another. Jury is a phenomenal striker and if he can keep Mendes at a distance he will pick him apart and look for the finish but we can’t forget the class of Mendes.
Winner: Jury via Decision
Striking and grappling stats sourced via FightMetric.
