UFC News & FeaturesFeatherweights
Blake Bilder (8-0-1, 1-0 UFC) vs. Kyle Nelson (13-5-1, 1-4-1 UFC)ODDS: Bilder (-240), Nelson (+200)
It will be interesting to see how much success Bilder can string together in the UFC. Bilder is obviously a standout athlete, but in contrast to his last name, he does not take much of a building approach in his fights. “El Animal” mostly throws power punches on the feet and pursues an aggressive grappling game, throwing ideas out in the hopes that something winds up quickly winning the fight. That makes things a bit meandering up until Bilder actually finds a finish, but he at least did enough to win a decision against Shane Young in his UFC debut in February. Bilder did not get much of anything done for two rounds in an even fight, but he poured on the pressure to clearly take the third on the scorecards. It was not the type of showing that announced Bilder as an immediate contender, but he could make some hay against Nelson, who has been a frustrating talent during his four and a half years on the UFC roster. Nelson has a lot of tools with which to work as a massive featherweight with knockout power and a strong wrestling game, but he is clearly working through some mental issues in most of his fights, as he fades badly against opponents who do not immediately fold under his pressure. To his credit, Nelson has not fallen victim lately to the third-round finishes that marked his most frustrating losses, but his fights still clearly have a turning point where he becomes much less effective. Nelson figures to jump out to an early lead, and it is essentially a toss-up as to whether he can hang on for a decision. The lean is that Bilder is too potent to let the Canadian get away fully unscathed. The pick is Bilder via third-round submission.
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