MMA Preview – Trevin Giles vs Dricus du Plessis at UFC 264
TREVIN GILES VS DRICUS DU PLESSIS 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!
TREVIN GILES VS DRICUS DU PLESSIS LOWDOWN
Dricus du Plessis (15-2) is coming off his memorable debut and knockout win over Markus Perez. It was a cagey round as Perez was controlling the fight, but du Plessis showed his killer instinct by countering a spinning backfist attempt and putting the Brazilian away. That win kept up his 100% finishing rate with six knockouts and nine submissions so all the fans are exciting for his first appearance of the year.
Trevin Giles (14-2) has responded brilliantly to his sole losses. He kickstarted his UFC career with two knockouts but then got submitted by Zak Cummings and Gerald Meerschaert. He bounced back by squeaking past James Krause in a split decision who stepped up last minute and followed that up with a knockout over Bevon Lewis and a unanimous decision over Roman Dolidze handing the Georgian his first ever loss.
TREVIN GILES VS DRICUS DU PLESSIS PREDICTION
Du Plessis’ debut would have done wonders to his confidence. It looked like he was carrying some UFC jitters and he was not offering much at all for Perez until he pounced on a mistake. He will need all the confidence as Giles is a stud and this is a tough match-up for him.
Du Plessis will have an eye on Giles’ two submission losses and feel there is a route to victory there. However, Giles’ submission defence is underrated. Although he struggled against Krause who is a welterweight and had no time to prepare, he is a high-level Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and Giles fended him off for three rounds.
That said, we expect the majority of this fight to remain on the feet. Giles can dictate it by being the aggressor and starting quickly like he did in the Lewis fight. He has the power to overwhelm du Plessis, but his fight IQ has never been his strong suit. If the South African settles early, he can get a read on Giles and get the better of the exchanges by offering a more varied attack with leg kicks.
This is a very tough fight to call and a knockout could fall either way considering their power but we feel this has the makings of a gritty violent battle on the feet with both guys having the durability to go to a decision with Giles sneaking home.
Prediction: Giles via Decision
