Roy Nelson vs Junior Dos Santos is an extremely interesting match-up stylistically and is sure to be a very exciting fight. Nelson will ultimately look to take the fight to the ground and use his Jiu-Jitsu skills and positioning to overpower the faster, more agile Dos Santos. From the other side of the coin, Dos Santos will most likely look for a quick finish initially by way of strikes and will attempt to keep the fight on, standing the entire time if possible.
History has shown that Nelson is susceptible to fast-paced strikers (Arlovski), and that’s exactly what Dos Santos has to offer. Knowing this, Nelson’s plan in the first few minutes of the fight will most likely be to avoid the initial wave of strikes that Dos Santos is known for dishing out. If Nelson can do this it may have a negative psychological effect on Dos Santos, knowing that the best and most feared part of his game has been essentially neutralized.
Even though Dos Santos holds a brown belt under the Noguiera brothers, he will most likely be outclassed on the ground by Nelson and will avoid going there. Nelson has proven to be an extremely competent grappler and also is very good at using his extra weight to his advantage on the ground. If Nelson is able to take Dos Santos to the ground sometime in the second round with a few minutes to spare, Dos Santos will be in quite a bit of trouble.
In general, this fight comes down to positioning and strategy, and which fighter will do a better job of imposing their will on the other fighter. Expect fireworks on Saturday night, and an extremely exciting bout for UFC and MMA fans.
Tags: Heavyweight, UFC
