Preview: UFC Mexico Prelims

Lightweights

Rafa Garcia (16-4, 4-4 UFC) vs. Vinc Pichel (14-4, 7-4 UFC)

ODDS: Garcia (-485), Pichel (+370)

Pichel’s UFC career has been defined by injuries, but “From Hell” has still managed to put together a solid decade-plus run with the promotion. After dropping his UFC debut in 2012, Pichel suffered his first extended layoff, missing all of 2013—the first of six separate times that he has had to take at least a year in between fights, including a three-year layoff between 2014 and 2017. When Pichel has been able to make it to the cage, he has been a tricky fighter for most of his career. His striking is unorthodox and capable enough, but his core attribute has been some impressive physical strength when it comes to wrestling and the clinch, with only elite wrestlers and grapplers getting by Pichel for the first decade of his UFC career. Now 42 years old, there is the concern that Pichel is starting to slow down. Never a particularly fast-paced fighter, he had trouble tracking down Ismael Bonfim in his last bout in May. Garcia represents a solid bounce-back fight to see if Pichel can still make things work at a high level, as he’s a well-rounded but beatable fighter. Garcia is a tough scrapper who is difficult to put away, but he needs everything to click in order for his game to truly sing. If an opponent consents to standing and trading, “Gifted” can usually get a win over the finish line, but he has had trouble turning things around against opponents who can effectively and consistently outwrestle him. That makes this a bit of a tricky fight for Garcia, but it’s unclear if Pichel has enough foot speed to make this his type of grind after his recent loss to Bonfim. There’s also the example of Garcia’s recent fight against Clay Guida. Garcia was content to stay at range and outquick another wrestler in the later stages of his career. It might not be the prettiest fight, but the pick is Garcia via decision.

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Garcia vs. Pichel
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