Preview: UFC 204 ‘Bisping vs. Henderson 2’

Featherweights

Mirsad Bektic (10-0) vs. Russell Doane (14-6)

THE MATCHUP: First, it was Arnold Allen. I might have complained about the UFC throwing together two blue-chip prospects, but that was a great fight. Then it was Jeremy Kennedy. No complaining about that on two weeks’ notice. Then Kennedy, too, pulled out citing an injury, and here we are. Doane, the only man crazy enough to fight Bektic in Europe will do so on less than a week’s notice; and it just might be a great fight.

Doane looked better than ever for about a minute and a half against Pedro Munhoz, lighting up the submission specialist before getting caught in Munhoz’s trademark guillotine. He threw volume, mixed up his strikes and overall looked more like his teammate Max Holloway than ever before. It must be remembered, however, that that fight took place at bantamweight. This one doesn’t. And Mirsad Bektic is not only a featherweight, but a very solidly built one, with a style that makes the most of his size. Bektic is a powerful wrestler with excellent timing and the ability to set up and disguise his shots. He is suffocating on the ground, a real mauler.

Bektic has been away for a year and a half now while recovering from an ACL injury; and there are not many worse injuries for an explosive wrestler. The good news is that Bektic is young and was only just cleared for training in August. That means he made it through his first attempt at a camp after the injury. Ring rust will likely still be an issue, but, like fellow grappler Khabib Nurmagomedov, I expect Bektic to have a few scary minutes before recovering his cool and starting to fight his fight.

THE ODDS: Bektic (-750), Doane (+550)

THE PICK: Bektic is like a more aggressive version of George St. Pierre, circa the second fight with B.J. Penn. His game is not as fully developed, perhaps, but the talent for fully-rounded, tactical MMA fighting is there. Bektic also has yet to relinquish the killer instinct: He has five TKOs and a submission via punches to his name, and his most recent decision was a vicious, dominant victory over Paul Redmond. Doane is talented in his own right, but Bektic is a seriously elite prospect who could very likely compete with some of the best featherweights in the world -- provided he has fully recovered from his knee injury. Plus, Bektic is the real featherweight here. The pick has to be Bektic by unanimous decision.

Last Fights » The Prelims