Preview: UFC on ESPN 55 Prelims

Heavyweights

Caio Machado (8-2-1, 0-1 UFC) vs. Don’Tale Mayes (10-6, 3-4 UFC)

ODDS: Machado (-125), Mayes (+105)

Heavyweights hopefully combine for some action in this pairing. Mayes is obviously talented, which has made his career all the more frustrating. A massive heavyweight at 6-foot-6 with some solid athleticism, Mayes is capable of a lot of things, which is both a blessing and a curse. “Lord Kong” has honed his skills during his years under the UFC banner and shows a lot of flashes but little focus. Mayes can grind out an ugly win over Josh Parisian or knock out Andrei Arlovski, but his career is also littered with performances like his last loss to Rodrigo Nascimento—an aimless fight where little was accomplished. Still young for a heavyweight at 32 years old, there is still the chance that everything clicks for Mayes, at which point he will be an absolute terror. Perhaps that comes here against Machado, who finds himself in a similar boat.

Born in Brazil and training out of Canada, Machado was an interesting prospect on the regional scene. His wins were not always the cleanest, but he showed the requisite durability and some strong grappling skills given the regional heavyweight standard. However, in his Dana White’s Contender Series win in August and UFC debut loss in November, Machado has mostly pumped out low-power volume on the feet for some solid if unmemorable performances. Neither fighter can be trusted in terms of providing consistent impact, but Mayes gets the benefit of the doubt as the more potent fighter in a matchup that figures to be quite frustrating. The pick is Mayes via decision.

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