UFC Fight Night St Louis.

What can we say? We are just excited for a new year of UFC! Check out our preview of Fight Night St Louis, with a headliner that will be sure to turn eyeballs! Will the brute force power of Jeremy Stephens land clean on Superboy Choi? Or will Choi’s precision and explosion of power grant him yet another victory? Find the answer, AND MORE, in our Fight Night St Louis. preview!

Here at MMA Australia, we would love for you to read and learn more about other fights that you may have not thought about viewing before! As a result, the main event and co-mains will be at the bottom, scroll if you please! Cheers, MMA Australia.

Even though Michael Johnson seems to be on a little bit of a slide lately, NO-ONE can deny that he is still one of the most exciting fighters in the lightweight division. Record aside, Michael Johnson still draws people to watch the UFC. Darren Elkins is a little bit of the opposite. I feel that most people won’t know his name, but reality is; his record is something that he can boast about (23-5). Elkins did have the best comeback for the year 2017, losing 2 rounds and completely getting outclassed before landing a clean head-kick to win the fight. The guy has grit.

This fight will be a stand and throw down type of fight. But fighters don’t like to back down, and will continue to step forward and pick shots. I think this will be a great fight to watch. Elkins is a smart fighter and definitely has a chin to compliment it. Taking a look at his record wins (and losses) will tell you what kind of a fighter he is. As usual, he will take a tough, plod-forward attitude into this fight.

(Screenshot via. Sherdog here)

Michael Johnson still has power in his hands, and that’s why the fight is so exciting. His explosive energy and standout boxing will be skills he will rely on in this fight. Don’t count Johnson out as a tough guy either, because his loss to Nurgagomedov will show you how much of a warrior he is. Back to the power in his hands however, check out this UFC video @ 0:50 mark to see just how good Johnson’s boxing is.

Whilst Elkins shows that he is a smart fighter and I believe he will be well prepared, I predict the Johnson will come out swinging and catch Elkins. The reason I predict this is because Elkins doesn’t like to back down, and he has got GUTS. Michael Johnson still has power, still has explosion in his style and that’s why I think he will come out on top.

Yet another solid fight on this card that people probably wouldn’t know about; but will definitely be entertaining. When you consider the background of these two fighters; the warrior culture writes a narrative in itself. Yoruba warrior against a Viking. What’s not to love!

The style of Usman is raw physical talent, coupled with wrestling and top control. He does have the ability to knock people out; he certainly has the physique to do so, but his striking is not up to par as of yet. That being said, it is well known that this is something Usman continues to work on, so do expect an improvement in this area. Usman’s skill is to take people down and suffocate them with his overwhelming ground control. If he is able to do this against Meek, we should see another win for the Nigerian Nightmare.

Meek can STRIKE. His heavy hands speak for themselves; he advertises himself as a Viking, and he certainly carries himself as one. Meek should exploit the gap in striking ability between the two, and his heavy hands should do some damage against an aggressive opponent. Keep Usman at distance and avoiding/stuffing takedowns will be the key to victory for Meek.

Entering fightweek like! #valhallaarmy #betsafe #proteinfabrikken #ufc #UFCStLouis pic.twitter.com/BxZVaDdEQN

— Emil Valhalla Meek (@emilvalhalla) January 8, 2018

vs.

Remember the name The Nigerian nightmare @usman84kg is the best welterweight on the planet today no mercy @ufc pic.twitter.com/Dwl4jAhtVX

— Ali Abdelaziz (@AliAbdelaziz00) January 6, 2018

What to expect:

What a tough one to call, especially when I like both fighters so much. I will have to give it to Meek. I think his experience and gameplan will trump Usman, though it will not come easily. If Usman can manage to get a takedown, it will go quickly downhill for Meek. This fight is all about whether it can remain on the feet for Meek.

And here it is MMA Australia fam! Our first coverage of an Aussie fighter! Clark has not been long in the UFC, and she will be facing one of the UFC’s poster-girls; Paige Vanzant.

Vanzant has not fought since December 2016, with her last fight being cancelled due to back injuries. Prior to this fight however, she landed a sick switch kick to finish the fight; showing off her striking prowess that she has been picking up at Team Alpha Male. Skills wise, you would say that she is a bit of an all rounder but doesn’t stand out in one particular category. Everything is solid, but nothing pulls out a “wow” factor every fight. You have to wonder whether a year out of the octagon will bring ring rust that could lead to a loss. Clark has been much more active and training, which could give her the advantage once the Octagon door closes.

Clark’s record doesn’t look great, but she has exhibited striking ability and a bit of a takedown game in the last couple of fights. Clark is coming off a win against Bec Rawlings in the UFC event @ Sydney. It’s also important to note that Clark is fighting at her natural weight class, which could play a factor in the lead up to the fight.

“You can find me in St.Louie” #UFCSTL pic.twitter.com/qm9nHMq7AW

— Paige VanZant (@PaigeVanzantUFC) November 29, 2017

What to expect:

I think heart & head actually point toward Clark. Ring rust for a year is just too much of a factor for me, but also Clark’s pressure and willingness to go forward should score better in the judges eyes.

Belfort is a legend in the UFC, fighting since most fans remember at the start of the organisation. His record has slipped over the years, ever since USADA and drug testing, Belfort has not looked the same. However, he consistently jumps between the win and loss column, which makes him a bit of an anomaly when you predict his fights. Hall is a fighter with a heap of potential; he exploded onto the Ulimate fighter and the UFC with his crazy athleticism and moves. Despite this, he is much like Belfort in that he is inconsistent.

Belfort has always been a great striker for the length of his career. Despite his age, he does continue to add things into his repertoire, as per the spinning wheel kick against Luke Rockhold. I am going to say that he keeps the fight standing even though he has a black belt in Jiu Jitsu. I don’t really see him winning on the feet however, as Hall still possesses the crazy explosive style that he came into the UFC with. I will say however the Belfort has come into fights with decent gameplans, and I would expect him to close the distance and make the fight dirty, for if he stays in striking range and length, he is in Uriah’s world.

Hall should be looking to keep his distance and just simply play to his stand-up strengths. There is no reason for him to stray from this, as he is younger, stronger and in a better position to win the fight over an already slipping older fighter. Whilst my love for Belfort remains strong, I don’t see him winning if both fighters stay in striking length.

I think Hall comes out with a KO in this fight. He will catch Belfort, and it should be over. Do watch this fight to see a legend for the last time though. Rumour has it that this could be his last fight. What a champion.

This fight is going to be a WAR. If you have the time, please go and check out last year’s Fight of the Year, where Choi took on Cub Swanson. If there is ever a way to try and recreate a fight or make it as similar as possible, this would be the way to do it! Both guys are going to move forward, trade, and I think it would be very hard to see this end in a decision. Someone is going to SLEEP.

Stephens has been known to be a knockout artist in the featherweight division. His record doesn’t look too impressive on paper, but he is a killer. His record does show that he has a wealth of experience, but it is important that he has a 6-5 record since coming into the featherweight division, which could point to maybe too much fatigue/feeling drained fighting at a lighter weight-class. Regardless, he is still extremely dangerous and there is no denying his power in his stand up. You’d think that these knockouts (16 in TOTAL) would come from his hands; but he has had plenty come from other strikes such as head-kicks and knees.

Choi is also an absolute beast; his knockouts come from precision and measured power. One of his greatest strengths is his counter-striking, which I think will be the key to this match up. The over-extension of Stephens will lead to openings, and these openings will be exploited every time by Choi. He may be caught in some exchanges, but judging from the Cubby fight – he won’t go anywhere. Choi does come off a year break though, which will also be very interesting considering Octagon rust. However I do think his skill set will help him win the match, given a bit of warm up time with lateral movement and dodging in the first round. He has an air of confidence about him, and it might give him the edge over Stephens.

I think that Choi will come out on top in this one. He needs to ultilise his counter-striking and clip Stephens with a knockout. Stephens won’t go down easily, and his experience will help him inside the Octagon. I will give the match to the younger, hungrier lion though. Choi by KO.

Thank you for reading our fight night preview! Let us know how we can improve, and be sure to give us a like and review on our Facebook page! MMAAustralia27. Cheers!

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