MMA Preview – Scott Holtzman vs Dong Hyun Ma at UFC on ESPN 5
THE FACTS
When is UFC on ESPN 5? Saturday 3rd August, 2019 - 18:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC on ESPN 5? Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey
What channel is UFC on ESPN 5? BT Sport 2
Where can I stream UFC on ESPN 5? 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+ which can you sign up to here!
Are tickets still available for UFC on ESPN 5? https://www.ufc.com/tickets
THE STATISTICS
THE LOWDOWN
Scott Holtzman and Dong Hyun Ma are both desperate to bounce back from a loss after getting their three-fight winning streaks snapped.
Scott Holtzman is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Nik Lentz but hopes this will be a minor blip after an impressive streak, earning decisions over Michael McBride and Darrell Horcher before mercilessly finishing Alan Patrick with elbows.
Dong Hyun Ma’s streak included a decision over Brendan O’Reilly, a knockout over Takanori Gomi and a tight decision over Damien Brown but felt the wrath of Devonte Smith who inflicted the third knockout of the South Korean’s career.
THE PREDICTION
We have two more well-rounded fighters here who are more than capable of a knockout or submission. They are more evenly-matched than the stats suggest, especially in the grappling department.
Ma is a very high-level judoka and these skills will be crucial to prevent Holtzman taking him down and delivering brutal ground-and-pound like he did against Patrick.
This fight will depend on how they turn up on the night and after seeing Ma’s chin failing the test for a third time, Holtzman will fancy his chances. If he doesn’t find the knockout he will pile on enough damage to sway the judges.
Winner: Holtzman via Decision
Striking and grappling stats sourced via FightMetric.
