Preview: UFC on ABC 4 Prelims

Welterweights

Gabriel Green (11-4, 2-2 UFC) vs. Bryan Battle (8-2, 3-1 UFC)

ODDS: Green (-140), Battle (+120)

Battle won Season 29 of “The Ultimate Fighter” in 2021, then was left to learn on the job. He had the raw tools of durability and aggression to outlast a lot of opposition but was enough of a mess that some of those victories were closer than they needed to be. That was still the story when Battle announced a cut down to welterweight, which seems like the right move in the long run. If nothing else, it has allowed Battle to lean out his frame, pop more athletically and become a bit of a physical bully. It also paid some immediate dividends, with Battle scoring an impressive 44-second knockout of Takashi Sato in his first trip down to 170 pounds. However, Battle’s sophomore effort at welterweight saw him lose a grind to Rinat Fakhretdinov, serving as a reminder that he remains a raw prospect who is a considerable distance away from reaching peak form. He will look to show some evolution against Green, who is further along in that process. “Gifted” was not particularly seasoned upon his 2020 UFC debut, but he had already honed a lot of his sneakily effective pressure game, built around a lot of awkward striking and leaning on his impressive durability. Green has hit a clear ceiling against top talents like Daniel Rodriguez and Ian Garry, but any step below that has seen him overwhelm and frustrate opponents through sheer attrition while overcoming any athletic disadvantages in the process. This is an interesting stylistic matchup given that both men tend to get by through outlasting their opponents, but Green should have enough to his game to get past another prospect, even if there is the worry that Battle can bank some control time with his wrestling and grappling. The pick is Green via decision.

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