UFC 89 Breakdown: The Undercard

Per Eklund vs. Samy Schiavo

Eklund Scouting Report
Height/Weight: 5’10/155 lbs.
Age: 27
Hometown: Stockholm, Sweden
Fighting out of: Stockholm, Sweden
Record: 13-3-1

The stakes: Already saddled with a botched UFC debut against Sam Stout, Eklund needs a win in his second go around, as the UFC will not be too keen on keeping him on the roster without good reason.

The breakdown: The MMA equivalent of a jack-of-all-trades, Eklund is not particularly deficient in any regard but does not have any tools that he can count on to win him a fight. With that in mind, Eklund has to keep his offense varied and Schiavo guessing so he can control the tempo and avoid making this a one-dimensional bout.

Schiavo Scouting Report
Height/Weight: 5’7/155 lbs.
Age: 32
Hometown: Avignon, France
Fighting out of: Avignon, France
Record: 10-5

The stakes: Much like Eklund, Schiavo also proved overmatched in his UFC debut, as Clay Guida scored a first-round technical knockout at his expense in April. The same rules apply for Schiavo, who will be back to toiling on the European circuit if he fails to pick up a win.

The breakdown: To get that elusive first UFC win, Schiavo has to zone in on Eklund’s porous takedown defense and control the action from the top with guard passing and strikes. If Schiavo can shut down Eklund and keep this a one-track fight, victory will be well in hand.


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The bottom line: Eklund struggles to impose his will in a fight, as evidenced by his performance against Stout at UFC 80. Schiavo excels when he can gain top control and keep a solid tempo with his strikes and grappling. Eklund simply lacks the tools to do anything to counter Schiavo and will drop an uninspired decision as a result.