UFC Fight Night ‘Munoz vs. Mousasi’ Preview

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Middleweights

Luke Barnatt (8-0, 3-0 UFC) vs. Sean Strickland (14-0, 1-0 UFC)

The Matchup: Since coming off a stint on “The Ultimate Fighter 17,” the lanky Barnatt has established himself as an entertaining offensive fighter. While the 6-foot-6 Englishman has his flaws, whether it be allowing Colin Hart to get inside his considerable reach or prematurely celebrating knockdowns against Andrew Craig, he still appears to be improving with each bout.

Most recently, Barnatt relied on straight punching combinations and a head kick to dispatch Mats Nilsson in March. In his three Octagon appearances, Barnatt has landed a whopping 7.41 significant strikes per minute, according to FightMetric.com. He also takes his share, absorbing an average of 5.49 -- a sign that he can still improve on controlling distance.

Barnatt will want to fight long against Strickland, a former King of the Cage champion who is known for his ability to land heavy ground-and-pound. The Californian known as “Tarzan” made his Octagon debut on short notice, replacing the injured Tor Troeng against Bubba McDaniel at UFC 171. While McDaniel is no longer with the promotion, Strickland’s dominance was nonetheless impressive, as he took down McDaniel before setting up a fight-ending rear-naked choke with some of his trademark ground-and-pound. In addition, Strickland landed some solid counter right hands before the fight hit the ground.

Based on a limited sample size, it would appear that Barnatt would want to remain upright against his 23-year-old foe. Capable of landing crisp straight punches, elbows and knees in the clinch and other more exotic offerings, “Bigslow” is clearly the more dynamic striker, even if he has not been difficult to hit himself. Strickland is capable of finishing a fight from mount, where he can separate and land meaningful punches and elbows. He must be wary of submissions against the long-limbed Barnett when looking to advance position.

The Pick: At the very least, Barnatt will offer more resistance than McDaniel. His takedown defense has been decent so far, and Strickland might not have the standup arsenal to trade with him. Barnatt takes it by decision or late TKO.

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