Preview: UFC Fight Night 214 Prelims

Bantamweights

Johnny Munoz Jr. (11-2, 1-2 UFC) vs. Liudvik Sholinian (9-2-1, 0-1 UFC)

ODDS: Munoz (-225), Sholinian (+190)

Order UFC 281 "Adesanya vs. Pereira" exclusively on ESPN+

This fight certainly falls under the category of well-matched but potentially ugly. Munoz was not particularly well-tested prior to his UFC debut in 2020—a strange fight against Nathan Maness. Munoz managed to control nearly 10 minutes of a 15-minute fight with constant takedowns and clinch work, but he did so little in terms of offense that Maness managed to net the decision. “Kid Kvenbo” turned his control into a finish against an overmatched Jamey Simmons in his sophomore effort, but after quickly getting knocked out by Tony Gravely in June, it is hard to tell exactly where Munoz stands. Meanwhile, Sholinian is essentially in the same boat. His resume was relatively thin prior to a solid showing on the 2021 revival season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” which eventually got him a late-notice call to take on top prospect Jack Shore. It is difficult to take much from that Shore fight, an expectedly dominant three-round win for the Welshman, and as a result it is hard to know what to make of Sholinian. Much like Munoz, the Ukrainian fights behind a pressure-heavy style with a notably low striking output that also has not been tested against a particularly high level of competition. Munoz is probably the more proven and skilled of the two, but if this is just going to be a battle of wills and durability as these two crash into each other, it seems worth the flier that Sholinian is the stouter and more unshakeable competitor. In a coinflip, the pick is Sholinian via decision.

Continue Reading » Hadley vs. Candelario