JUN YONG PARK VS GREGORY RODRIGUES FACTS
When is UFC Fight Night 196? Saturday 23rd October, 2021 -19:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Fight Night 196? UFC APEX, Enterprise, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night 196? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC events
What channel is UFC Fight Night 196 on? BT Sport 2
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night 196? 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!
JUN YONG PARK VS GREGORY RODRIGUES LOWDOWN
After a shaky start to his pro career, Jun Yong Park (13-4) is on a roll. His only loss in his last 11 fights was against Anthony Hernandez on his UFC debut (2019). He got wrapped up in an anaconda choke but has responded with three straight wins. He earnt unanimous decisions over Marc-Andre Barriault (2019) and John Phillips (2020) and he is coming off another decision win although it was not plain sailing as Tafon Nchukwi ended up getting a point deducted after hitting Park’s crown jewels too many times.
Gregory Rodrigues (10-3) is also on a roll only losing once in his last 10. That loss came last year on the Contender Series and it felt like a huge setback at the time as Jordan Williams who was making his third appearance on the series knocked him out in the first round. However, Rodrigues bounced back with three good wins this year picking up the Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) middleweight strap in the process. He knocked out Al Matavao and Josh Fremd for LFA to earn the call-up and earnt a unanimous decision over Dusko Todorovic on debut.
JUN YONG PARK VS GREGORY RODRIGUES PREDICTION
Park has solid boxing and Rodrigues has dangerous Muay Thai. Rodrigues will also boast a three-inch reach and five-inch height advantage so Park will need to step into range to offload punches, but Rodrigues will be waiting to counter and enforce a clinch.
Park can wrestle and loves a takedown, but he will be better off maintaining the distance as Rodrigues is also a national champion in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Rodrigues is another grappler who has fallen in love with his hands and it makes sense considering his knockout power, but if he gets complacent on the feet and drops his hands like he did in the Williams fight, Park will punish him.
Park also has a granite chin so if Rodrigues decides to stand for three rounds we would lean towards the South Korean but if he mixes in some grappling, Park’s back will be there to be taken in the scrambles so he could even seal the deal with a submission.
Prediction: Rodrigues via Decision - CLICK HERE FOR PARIMATCH'S WELCOME OFFER (BET £5, GET £30 IN BONUSES!)
Value Bet: Rodrigues via Submission