Preview: UFC 189 ‘Mendes vs. McGregor’

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FEATHERWEIGHTS

Dennis Bermudez (14-4, 7-2 UFC) vs. Jeremy Stephens (23-11, 10-10 UFC)

THE MATCHUP: The veteran Stephens draws Bermudez in a crackling featherweight battle. Bermudez was riding a seven-fight winning streak, capped off by a submission victory over Clay Guida, but he was choked out by Ricardo Lamas in his last outing. Stephens looked like he had found new life at featherweight, winning three in a row, but dropped consecutive fights to Cub Swanson and Charles Oliveira. The winner will still well-positioned for fights with the divisional elite.

Bermudez is a great athlete with outstanding quickness, brutal strength and surprising cardio for such a thickly built bruiser. Despite his wrestling background, he is a slick striker who pushes a great pace. Powerful punching combinations punctuated with crushing, technically perfect low kicks are the order of the day, and he can both move forward and counter off the back foot. He is hittable, however, and does not absorb shots particularly well. The clinch is another area of strength, as he works strong knees from the double-collar tie, along with an array of trips. A longtime wrestler, he has a beastly double-leg that he finishes with brutal authority, and he is nearly impossible to get to the mat. He is more of a rinse-and-repeat takedown artist than a top-position grinder or active guard-passer, but he can find the back in transitions and has a solid guillotine.

There is nothing particularly flashy about Stephens’ game, but he remains a well-rounded fighter and a thunderous puncher when he can get his hands going. Since moving to Alliance MMA, he has improved his combination work, his timing and his kicking repertoire, but his overall offensive output remains fairly low. He excels at planting his feet and countering aggressive opponents, and the left hook-right uppercut sequence is still his bread and butter. Defensive wrestling remains a relatively strong suit, and since dropping to featherweight, he has hit more takedowns of his own, which forces opponents to respect his level changes in the pocket. Nobody will confuse Stephens with an ace grappler, but he is competent on the mat, with decent control and bombing strikes from top position.

BETTING ODDS: Bermudez (-210), Stephens (+175)

THE PICK: While the combination of Bermudez’s problems with absorbing strikes and Stephens’ power could be a serious problem for the less-experienced fighter, Bermudez is a better wrestler, produces more volume and is generally more skilled as a technical striker and clinch fighter. Barring Stephens landing that one big shot, the balance of the equation favors Bermudez over three rounds. The pick is Bermudez by decision.

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