MMA Preview – Tai Tuivasa vs Greg Hardy at UFC 264
TAI TUIVASA VS GREG HARDY FACTS
When is UFC 264? Sunday 11th July, 2021 - 01:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC 264? T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC 264? Click here to buy tickets for UFC 264
What channel is UFC 264 on? BT Sport Box Office (£19.99) BT Sport 2 (prelims)
Where can I stream UFC 264? 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!
TAI TUIVASA VS GREG HARDY LOWDOWN
Tai Tuivasa (11-3) has rediscovered his mojo after dropping all three of his losses in a row. He was on top of the world after earning a unanimous decision over the legend Andrei Arlovski in 2018 but then met his match in Junior dos Santos who knocked him out to suffer the first loss of his career. He then lost a unanimous decision to Blagoy Ivanov and got submitted by Sergey Spivak. After a year out to lick his wounds and fill some holes in his game, he responded with a vintage knockout over Stefan Struve and made quick work of late replacement Harry Hunsucker back in March to rack up his 10th career knockout.
For all Greg Hardy’s (7-3(1)) flaws he is making a good crack of his MMA career and is clearly showing an appetite to improve and take on anyone in the division. Arguably, his most impressive feat so far in his young career was stepping up as a late replacement to fight Alexander Volkov and take him to a decision. It was a lobsided loss, but he impressed and followed it up by starting 2020 with a unanimous decision win over Yorgan de Castro and then knocked out Maurice Greene in October. He ended the year suffering his first knockout however, courtesy of Marcin Tybura proving he is nowhere the upper echelon of the division yet.
TAI TUIVASA VS GREG HARDY PREDICTION
The UFC have placed this fight very high on the blockbuster card expecting fireworks. The fuse may be long and the pace may be slow, but once they let their hands fly, fireworks is exactly what we can expect.
They are both incredibly dynamic and explosive. They may take a while to feel each other out, bopping just outside of range throwing feints attempting to get a read on each other before exploding into the pocket.
Hardy will boast a three-inch height and five-inch reach advantage, and we know all about his athleticism, so he has the ability to uncork some ferocious power and cause an upset. He is also continuing to evolve at American Top Team so he will be more calculated with adding in combinations.
Despite giving up some size and power, Tuivasa is the more seasoned striker and will have the better cardio. He also has one-punch knockout power, but the smart play will be to conduct a measured first round and then look to force the pace and find a home for his kettlebell hands.
Hardy is capable of an upset especially with the rate he is improving but we are backing Tuivasa to notch the 11th knockout of his career.
Prediction: Tuivasa via KO/TKO
