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#2 Edson Barboza [15-3] vs. Paul Felder [10-0]
This was originally supposed to be Anthony Pettis vs. Miles Jury. However, Pettis was replaced by Barboza after pulling out with an elbow injury. Eventually, Jury would pull out with injury as well to be replaced by Felder. While Pettis vs. Jury would have been fun, this fight is going to be insane. Neither of these fighters have a strong ground game. A Jiu Jitsu purple belt in Barboza is squaring off against a blue belt in Felder. Where their strengths lie is in the stand-up department. Barboza is a Taekwondo and Muay Thai black belt while Felder is a black belt in Karate and a second-degree black belt in Taekwondo.
Barboza’s leg kicks are devastating and his speed is unmatched at times. Add to this his one punch knockout power and you have one of the most dangerous fighters in MMA. Felder on the other hand has some of the best hand and feet combination work out there and is utterly unintimidated by whoever stands before him. Felder is the more creative fighter and can make in-game adjustments with relative ease.
While Felder may not be the most powerful striker, he is more technically correct. One only has to look at the kickboxing fight between Bob Sapp and Ernesto Hoost to understand what advantage superior technique plays to superior power.
Prediction – Felder via TKO, Round 3
