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Preview: UFC Fight Night 218 ‘Lewis vs. Spivak’

Choi vs. Nelson


Featherweights

Doo Ho Choi (14-4, 3-3 UFC) vs. Kyle Nelson (13-5, 1-4 UFC)

ODDS: Choi (-190), Nelson (+160)

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Choi took the featherweight division by storm upon his 2014 UFC debut, thanks to the eye-catching combination of his extremely youthful look and his propensity for extreme violence. Heading into his 2016 bout against Cub Swanson, Choi had racked up three knockout wins in less than five minutes combined. That Swanson bout figured to be Choi’s steppingstone into contention. While Choi came out on the losing end, both men’s stock went up from the ensuing three-round war, which immediately went on the short list of best fights of all-time. Unfortunately, Choi’s career has not rebounded as expected. For one thing, a combination of injuries, the pandemic and his mandatory military service have limited him to only two fights in the ensuing six-plus years. Additionally, Choi has lost both of those fights, with his counter-heavy striking style leaving him open for knockouts against Jeremy Stephens and Charles Jourdain. There is no shame in either of those results, particularly with Jourdain going on to prove himself as an effective fighter, but Choi’s career is badly in need of some momentum as he returns from a three-year layoff. Nelson is going through his own struggles as he looks for his first win since 2019, and there is a similar sense that Nelson can rise through the ranks if he can get things to fully click. Nelson has all the tools to live up to his “Monster” nickname as a powerful striker and wrestler with some impressive size—particularly as he cuts back down to featherweight—but he has been undone by a clear mental block, as he fades badly down the stretch against opponents who are unwilling to go away. This is essentially a tale of two fights, as Nelson figures to cause plenty of issues for Choi early thanks to his hot starts, especially with “The Korean Superboy” having a patient style and needing to shake off a few years of rust. However, if Choi survives the early going, he should be able to pour on the damage and find a late finish. This is a coinflip, but the pick is Choi via second-round knockout.



Jump To »
Lewis vs. Spivak
Jung vs. Clark
Tybura vs. Ivanov
Choi vs. Nelson
Kinoshita vs. Fugitt
The Prelims

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