UFC 244 - New York Breakdown & Predictions
When is UFC 244? Sunday 3rd October, 2019 - 00:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC 244? Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York
What channel is UFC 244 on? BT Sport 1
Where can I stream UFC 244? BT Sport subscribers can stream the fight online via the BT Sport website
For viewers in the United States, the event will be shown live on ESPN+ which can you sign up to here!
Are tickets still available for UFC Fight Night 244? https://www.ufc.com/tickets
Jorge Masvidal vs Nate Diaz
A ‘BMF’ title really isn’t necessary for this encounter at Madison Square Garden as fan-favourites Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz throw down to put on a show for UFC 244.
Masvidal’s stock is peaking right now and he is loving every second of it. After losing decisions to Demian Maia and then Stephen Thompson he pulled off two incredible knockouts to reach super-stardom. Firstly, Darren Till on his home patch and then the unforgettable flying knee and fastest knockout in UFC history which sent Ben Askren into a different dimension.
Diaz’s stock has always been high, especially after his clashes with Conor McGregor, and he is finally getting the recognition he deserves after slugging it out in the top bracket for over a decade. After being inactive for over three years, he returned to action to face an in-form Anthony Pettis but displayed no ring rust and put on an exceptional and dominant performance to prove he is still at the top of the food chain.
PREDICTION
This should be a technical and violent war. Diaz’s jiu-jitsu is on a different level but he is likely to keep that in reserve as they duke it out on the feet. Masvidal has the power advantage and is likely to have a strategy to catch Diaz off guard and set up a knockout.
Although Masvidal has the power to finish Diaz, the Stockton native’s chin is battle-tested, almost enjoying eating shots from his foes. The difference in this bout is likely to be Diaz’ relentless output and technical boxing to wear Masvidal down in the later rounds, possessing the cardio to keep up an overwhelming pace until the bell but it will be a close one.
Winner: Diaz via Decision
Kelvin Gastelum vs Darren Till
Darren Till makes the move up to middleweight but he has picked out the toughest fight available for his welcome to the division in the shape of Kelvin Gastelum.
Gastelum is coming off his epic five-round war with Israel Adesanya for the interim title. He put the rangy kickboxer and current champion in the most trouble he has experienced in his MMA career. He closed the distance superbly and rocked Adesanya early in the fight and although he was outclassed by the final round, he put on a great performance.
Till is also coming off a brutal encounter, two in fact. After getting dominated and submitted by Tyron Woodley, he met Jorge Masvidal in London and suffered the first knockout of his career. These losses have sparked a move up to middleweight which is an exciting prospect as the Liverpudlian was a huge welterweight and had to deplete himself to make the 170 lb mark, so he is expected to be a different beast at 185.
PREDICTION
It is difficult to predict how these two will perform with Gastelum coming off a brutal 25 minutes and Till a devastating knockout as well as moving up to middleweight. That said, we can expect a striking battle of the highest calibre.
Till will still have the size and power advantage and Gastelum will be giving up reach but that won’t stop him from landing as he has tremendous hand speed which has given a host of middleweight strikers problems. Gastelum also has the grappling advantage and although his wrestling is usually his plan B, he will be wise to mix in takedowns to break Till’s rhythm.
Over three rounds a knockout and decision are just as likely. Till has got all the tools to beat Gastelum with power, pressure and range and, furthermore, he has been drilling his wrestling with Mike Grundy.
However, Gastelum is such a tough match-up and his granite chin may just keep him in the fight long enough to land that savage ‘1-2’ combination until Till falls.
Winner: Gastelum via KO/TKO
Stephen Thompson vs Vicente Luque
Stephen Thompson and Vicente Luque throw down in New York with ‘Wonderboy’ searching for his first win in three but another beast stands in his way who is riding a brilliant six-fight winning streak.
Thompson has only won one of his last five but they were all incredibly tough fights. He came close to the title after dragging Tyron Woodley to a draw but then lost a decision in the rematch which was also a close one. He bounced back with a classy decision over Jorge Masvidal but is coming off two losses to Darren Till and Anthony Pettis.
Contrastingly, Luque is in the form of his life only losing once in his last 11. That was a decision to Leon Edwards but since he has blitzed his way through the division with a submission and four knockouts and is now coming off his biggest win, taking Mike Perry to a split decision.
PREDICTION
Luque’s confidence in his hands could be his undoing in this one. He is such a dangerous striker but that may not be enough against an undefeated kickboxer. Thompson got knocked out by Pettis but he was controlling the fight up until the superman punch and will have learned from his mistake.
Thompson is expected to control the distance by popping in and out of range and catching Luque at the end of his strikes. Thompson should frustrate Luque and tally up strike after strike but is unlikely to finish as Luque is so durable.
Winner: Thompson via Decision
Derrick Lewis vs Blagoy Ivanov
Two heavyweight lumps head to Madison Square Garden for the first time as Derrick Lewis takes on Blagoy Ivanov.
After three wins in a row, Lewis crossed paths with two elite heavyweights. Firstly, he took on Daniel Cormier for the title but was predictably out grappled and eventually submitted. He then took on the former champion Junior dos Santos and was finished with an onslaught of punches in the second round.
Ivanov has flown in under the radar but after losing his debut to Dos Santos he looks to become a threat in the division. He bounced back with a hard-fought decision over Ben Rothwell and then enjoyed a more comfortable decision over Tai Tuivasa, handing the Aussie his second ever loss.
PREDICTION
Lewis is a bit of a ‘one trick pony’ but that one trick puts people to sleep. However, Ivanov has one of the best chins in the game and it will be fascinating to see if Lewis can topple the Bulgarian tank.
Ivanov is a mighty grappler, representing Bugaria in combat sambo, and has to try and tie Lewis up to nullify his deadly striking power. Lewis has great takedown defence but will tire come the third round so if Ivanov can avoid any early damage he should be able to grind out his third decision win in a row.
Winner: Ivanov via Decision
Corey Anderson vs Johnny Walker
Corey Anderson and Johnny Walker build the stacked card for UFC 244 with Anderson providing the grind and Walker the fireworks.
There is no glitz or glamour with Anderson but extreme hard work and determination as we have seen in his last three fights. After suffering two brutal knockouts to Jimi Manuwa and Ovince Saint Preux, Anderson grappled Patrick Cummins, Glover Teixeira and Ilir Latifi to unanimous decisions.
At the other end of the spectrum Walker is all about the performance, from dancing to the octagon and (overly) celebrating spectacular knockouts. He is on a nine-fight winning streak and knocked out all of his UFC opponents. He elbowed the life out of Khalil Rountree, put Justin Ledet to bed with a spinning backfist and buried Misha Cirkunov with a flying knee.
PREDICTION
This contest is most likely to end in an Anderson decision or a Walker knockout and will all depend on Walker’s takedown defence. Anderson is a phenomenal wrestler with some of the best cardio in the UFC and will relentlessly pursue the takedown.
Walker’s natural strategy of exploding out of the gate looking to make contact with all eight limbs will be the best strategy, as there is no point being patient with Anderson.
Walker is expected to unleash his athletic and ferociously powerful attacks to test the damaged chin of Anderson and if he can avoid his clutches, you have to bank on him finding the knockout.
Winner: Walker via KO/TKO
Striking and grappling stats sourced via FightMetric.