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#2: UFC light-heavyweight division: Ion Cutelaba vs. Devin Clark
The co-main event on this weekend’s UFC card also takes place in the 205 lb division. It pits two of the UFC’s more inconsistent, yet talented fighters against one another. But which one will win?
Both men debuted in the UFC almost at the same time. Cutelaba entered the octagon in June 2016, while Clark followed suit a month later. And both have similar records, too, with Cutelaba being 4-5-1 in the UFC and Clark 6-5.
However, that’s largely where the similarities end. Clark is more of a grinding fighter who wears down his opponents in wars of attrition. Of his six UFC wins, all have come via decision, while he has been finished violently by every man to have beaten him.
Cutelaba, meanwhile, is one of the most explosive fighters on the entire UFC roster. Everything he does comes with maximum aggression, whether he’s throwing haymakers or firing into double leg takedowns to set up his ground-and-pound.
‘The Hulk’ probably won’t develop into a title contender as some would’ve hoped at this point. But he’s still remarkably dangerous, particularly early on in fights. Even in his losses, he started off quickly and was usually able to hurt his opponent before slowing down.
Basically, this one should come down to whether Clark can stop Cutelaba’s wild rush and wear him down without getting hurt. It’s a tricky proposition, though.
‘The Brown Bear’ did pull off a similar gameplan against Alonzo Menifield in his most recent UFC win. But Menifield doesn’t have the wrestling game that ‘The Hulk’ possesses, which make him very much a one-dimensional opponent.
In this fight, Clark will probably have to be even more careful than he was in that clash. Realistically, it’s not likely to end well for him. Fighters who’ve been able to violently rush Clark have tended to win, a trend that looks likely to continue.
The Pick: Cutelaba via first-round KO.
