MMA Preview – Punahele Soriano vs Nick Maximov at UFC Fight Night 200
PUNAHELE SORIANO VS NICK MAXIMOV FACTS
When is UFC Fight Night 200? Saturday 5th February, 2022 - 22:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Fight Night 200? UFC APEX, Enterprise, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night 200? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC events
What channel is UFC Fight Night 200 on? BT Sport 2
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night 200? 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!
PUNAHELE SORIANO VS NICK MAXIMOV LOWDOWN
Punahele Soriano (8-1) is coming off the first loss of his career. He was sitting pretty at 8-0 after knocking out Oskar Piechota (2019) and Dusko Todorovic (2021) in his first two UFC fights. He then crossed paths with Brendan Allen who inflicted the loss. It was a surprising performance from Allen as he decided to stand and trade for the majority of the fight, but he looked superb and won the battle via unanimous decision. Soriano is now desperate to put that loss behind him and find an excuse to pull the trigger.
It is now Nick Maximov’s (7-0) turn to protect his unblemished record. After a successful amateur career, Maximov stormed his way to 5-0 with two knockouts and three submissions. That led to an audition on the Contender Series which he sailed through by earning a unanimous decision over Oscar Cota (2020). He then earnt his second decision on debut by outpointing Cody Brundage in September last year.
PUNAHELE SORIANO VS NICK MAXIMOV PREDICTION
Soriano will be giving up the size advantage again which should give him more reason to hunt a knockout blow. He was way too hesitant against Allen and he cannot afford to let Maximov dictate the fight and control him with his grappling.
Like Allen, Maximov is also a top grappler with good wrestling, slick submission game and dangerous ground-and-pound. Unlike Allen, we expect him to actually call upon those skills and try and get the fight to the mat.
If Soriano is on his game, Maximov will have to be cautious when closing the distance. He has good takedown defence and devastating power in his hands. If Maximov can tie Soriano up early and take him down, we can see him sap the energy, bag a couple rounds and finish strong in the third.
However, we expect an improved version of Soriano who has the speed and power advantage with his takedown defence enabling him to keep the fight on the feet and win the exchanges. Considering his power, a knockout is always possible, but we feel Maximov can drag this to the bell.
Prediction: Soriano via Decision - CLICK HERE FOR PARIMATCH'S WELCOME OFFER (BET £5, GET £30 IN BONUSES!)
Value Bet: Maximov via Decision
