This should be an enjoyable scrap between two bantamweights still
looking to carve out a niche in the UFC. Kazakhstan’s Morozov had a
successful regional career on the back of an approach that is a bit
disjointed and inconsistent. Morozov can do a bit of everything and
packs a lot of power, but his confidence in his own abilities
varies wildly from moment to moment. Given an advantageous matchup,
Morozov can look excellent while running through his opponent, but
his UFC career has been marked by a lot of moments where he faces
some resistance and needs to regroup, leading to some wild momentum
swings. It is not a surprise that Morozov has alternated wins and
losses through four UFC bouts—something that is also true of his
opponent here. Newson is an unspectacularly well-rounded striker
who can hold his own on the mat, given things last that long.
Newson has enough power paired with durability issues that the
middle stretch of his UFC career has seen him score a 38-second
knockout of Domingo
Pilarte only to then suffer a 41-second knockout against
Randy
Costa. Both men can get thrown off their game, but it is also
unclear if either can provide enough consistent danger for the
other to get any momentum truly rolling. Morozov has a bit more in
terms of options when it comes to wrestling, so he gets the narrow
nod in a fight that should be relatively even. The pick is Morozov
via decision.
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