UFC Fight Night 165 - Busan Breakdown & Predictions
When is UFC Fight Night 165? Saturday 21st December, 2019 - 08:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Fight Night 165? Sajik Arena, Busan, South Korea
What channel is UFC Fight Night 165 on? BT Sport 2
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night 165? 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 165? https://www.ufc.com/tickets
Frankie Edgar vs The Korean Zombie
‘The Korean Zombie’ Chan Sung Jung and Brian Ortega were expected to light up the Sajik Arena but after T-City injured his knee, UFC legend Frankie Edgar has stepped up to take on the nation’s hero.
This is a strange choice of replacement as Edgar is supposedly scheduled to fight Cory Sandhagen at bantamweight in January, but the UFC have thrown in their boy to take on ‘The Korean Zombie’. Let’s hope that fight still goes ahead, but for now Edgar stays at 145 lbs coming off his title fight and dominant decision loss to Max Holloway.
It’s tragic we have not seen more of the Zombie. Mandatory military service and injuries have restricted him to only seven UFC fights, but they have all been pure entertainment. Since 2013 he has only fought three times – a dusting of Dennis Bermudez in 2017, that miraculous last-second elbow knockout loss to Yair Rodriguez in 2018 and a brilliant dispatching of Renato Moicano to notch his fifth career knockout in June this year.
PREDICTION
This is a completely different match-up for ‘The Korean Zombie’. After training for the rangy jiu-jitsu wizard Ortega, he now has to prepare for the veteran wrestler who will look to enforce a relentless and suffocating pace for five rounds.
Jung has to finish Edgar to win this one and he has all the weapons to do so. He has vicious knockout power and he is elite on the ground. However, Edgar has only been finished once in his career and he is expected to combine strikes with level-changes to enable his wrestling and ultimately, grind out another decision.
Winner: Edgar via Decision
Volkan Oezdemir vs Aleksandar Rakic
Two of the most explosive strikers in the UFC support the main event in Busan, South Korea as two European weapons Volkan Oezdemir and Aleksandar Rakic throw down in a slobberknocker.
Volkan Oezdemir looked back to his best in his last outing against Ilir Latifi. After three straight losses to the gold standard of the light heavyweight division - Daniel Cormier, Anthony Smith and Dominic Reyes - Oezdemir put on an immaculate performance. He patiently settled, waiting for Latifi to tire, and put it on him in the second round with his power proving intolerable once again.
Cut from the same cloth, Rakic is an assassin. His combination of power, technique and athleticism is frightening as nine of his 12 victims have experienced, in particular his last two. He is coming off a violent finish over Devin Clark a year ago and one of the most devastating head kick knockouts you will ever see against Jimi Manuwa back in June.
PREDICTION
This promises to be an intense and violent encounter for however long it lasts. Both men are scary knockout artists with little interest in grappling so either man may go stiff on the night. Oezdemir has far more valuable experience but Rakic gets the nod with the extra speed, height, arm and leg reach advantage.
Winner: Rakic via KO/TKO
Doo Ho Choi vs Charles Jourdain
‘The Korean Superboy’ Doo Ho Choi is finally back in action and takes on Charles Jourdain who makes his second UFC appearance.
Unfortunately, Choi has only fought once since 2016 as he has been tasked with mandatory military service but has been granted the opportunity to fight in South Korea. It is a shame he has been inactive as he is one of the most exciting featherweights in the roster with four of his five UFC fights ending in knockouts - with the decision awarded as the 2016 ‘fight of the year’ against Cub Swanson. However, he lost that war and went on to meet another warrior in the shape of Jeremy Stephens, putting on another ‘fight of the night’ but landing on the wrong end of a knockout.
Jordain is also coming off a loss which was his UFC debut back in May. He met Desmond Green who earned the unanimous decision, snapping the Canadian’s four-fight winning streak.
PREDICTION
This should be one of many thrilling fights on the Busan card. ‘The Korean Superboy’ is known for his knockout power and exciting style but Jourdain got his shot in the UFC with the same style as a dangerous and aggressive striker.
The Canadian is very confident in his hands which is likely to work against him as Choi should rise to the occasion and leave nothing behind in front of his adoring home fans.
Winner: Choi via KO/TKO
Da Un Jung vs Mike Rodriguez
Two light heavyweight lumps search for another knockout as Da Un Jung welcomes the American Mike Rodriguez to South Korea.
After compiling 10 wins in a row with eight knockouts and a submission, Jung was awarded with a UFC contract and he passed his first test in the shape of Khadis Ibragimov with flying colours, handing the Russian his first career loss and doing so with a guillotine choke.
Rodriguez was awarded his UFC opportunity in similar fashion. After three knockouts in a row he met Jamelle Jones on Dana White’s Contender Series and ended him with a spectacular flying knee. Suffering mixed fortunes since, he lost his UFC debut to Devin Clark, finished Adam Milstead and lost another decision to John Allan Arte in his last outing.
PREDICTION
Both men are knockout artists but have never been knocked out themselves. This could easily turn into a slugfest and those chins will be tested. If Rodriguez can utilize his monster reach, he can keep Jung at a distance with his jab and win the exchanges with movement.
However, we have not seen enough of that and Jung has the durability to press forward and inflict more damage. If the fight ends up on the floor he will also be favoured to pile on more damage with dangerous ground-and-pound.
Winner: Jung via Decision
Jun Yong Park vs Marc-Andre Barriault
Jun Young Park welcomes Marc-Andre Barriault to South Korea as both middleweights are desperate for their first UFC win.
Park got his UFC opportunity off the back of seven straight wins which included three knockouts and three submissions. However, he lost his debut against Anthony Hernandez who ended Park’s winning run with an anaconda choke.
Barriault also steamrolled his way to a UFC contract but had a tough assignment for a UFC debut. He met the seasoned Andrew Sanchez who out-grappled him to a unanimous decision. He then suffered another decision loss to a resurgent Krzysztof Jotko, but forced a split decision that time.
PREDICTION
They are both under heaps of pressure to get a UFC win. Barriault wants to prevent a three-fight skid and Park is fighting on home soil so this could create cagey performances. They are both strikers by trade so whoever is more confident and relaxed on the night should get their hand raised.
Winner: Barriault via Decision
Kyung Ho Kang vs Liu Pingyuan
Kicking off the main card in Busan, South Korea is China’s Liu Pingyuan and the hometown boy Kyung Ho Kang.
Kang has only lost once in his last six fights which was a split decision to Ricardo Ramos. However, he impressively bounced back, cinching the 11th submission of his career over Teruto Ishihara and is coming off a split decision over his toughest opponent so far in Brandon Davis.
The young Chinese is coming off a hellacious knockout courtesy of Johnathan Martinez. Martinez landed a brutal knee in the third round of their fight back in July which snapped an impressive nine-fight winning streak, including two UFC wins and decisions over Damian Stasiak and Martin Day.
PREDICTION
Kang fights in his hometown here but he has not fought in South Korea since 2012 so he will be champing at the bit to put on a show in Busan. It will be interesting to see how Pingyuan responds to that knockout as he will have to be at the top of his game to get past Kang.
Kang has improved a lot since his military service and he will be confident of not getting finished by Pingyuan. His grappling could make all the difference with brilliant takedowns and if he can wear Pingyuan down, he could even pull off another submission.