MMA Preview – Drakkar Klose vs Luis Pena at UFC Vegas 19
DRAKKAR KLOSE VS LUIS PENA FACTS
When is UFC Vegas 19? Saturday 20th February, 2021 - 23:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Vegas 19? UFC APEX, Las Vegas, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC Vegas 19? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC events
What channel is UFC Vegas 19 on? BT Sport 1
Where can I stream UFC Vegas 19? BT Sport subscribers can stream the fight online via the BT Sport website
For viewers in the United States, the event will be shown live on ESPN+ and you can sign up for access as part of a Disney Bundle here!
DRAKKAR KLOSE VS LUIS PENA LOWDOWN
Drakkar Klose (11-2-1) returns after that epic encounter with Beneil Dariush nearly a year ago in March. He ended up getting knocked out, but it was a back-and-fourth battle and Klose was not far off a finish himself. That loss broke an impressive three-fight win streak which included unanimous decisions over Lando Vannata, Bobby Green and Christos Giagos.
Luis Pena (8-3) is also coming off a loss which is his third in the UFC already which is somewhat surprising after showing so much promise. After his loss to Mike Trizano, he picked up wins over Steven Peterson and Matt Wiman but lost a split decision to Matt Frevola. He bounced back with a unanimous decision over Steve Garcia but now is coming off a disappointing submission loss to Khama Worthy.
DRAKKAR KLOSE VS LUIS PENA PREDICTION
Pena has the range and skill set to be a problem in the lightweight division, but he has not quite sewn it all together yet. He has no doubt been working hard in the gym and improving but Klose is a beast and Pena will have to be at his sniping best to get past him.
Pena will boast a five-inch reach and height advantage and he has to leverage that keeping Klose at range. Pena does not have spectacular knockout power, so he needs to strike from distance for 15 minutes or be aggressive with his jiu-jitsu if the fight goes to the floor.
We expect Klose to have too much for Pena and be able to close the distance on the feet and mix in takedowns to win the rounds. This is bound to be a tight contest and we can see a decision falling either way, but we give Klose the edge.
Prediction: Klose via Decision - CLICK HERE FOR PARIMATCH'S WELCOME OFFER (BET £5, GET £30 IN BONUSES!)
