UFC 250 Predictions: Cody Garbrandt vs Raphael Assuncao

As we edge closer to the second event at Las Vegas for UFC, a host of fights that promise to be exhilarating await us. Specifically for the Bantamweight division, this event holds various exciting fights. And one of these will witness the return of Cody “No Love” Garbrandt as he takes on bantamweight veteran Raphael Assuncao.

With both fighters riding loss streaks, each will look forward to finishing the other no matter what to get their career back on track. Right off the bat, this fight promises to be an all-out war. However, there will be only one victor. Let us dive into details in order to try and determine how the fight might pan out tomorrow.

For: Raphael Assuncao

The 37-year-old veteran ha an impressive resume all laid out for someone to think twice before challenging him.

His fighting style includes impressive striking backed with tremendous power. According to the trend of his wins, though, it is clear that he prefers to take the game to the ground. Even though he has immense power and precision striking, only 14 % of his 27 wins have come via knockout.

However, he has survived the most relentless strikers in the field, surviving the entirety of bouts with fighters like Marlon Moraes, Aljamain Sterling, and Cory Sandhagen. Thus, he has the will and the chin to survive anything that Garbrandt throws his way.

On the contrary, his preferred and exceptional jiu-jitsu will also meet a match in Cody. Even though the former Bantamweight titleholder prefers a stand-up game, he has brilliant jiu-jitsu and should be able to dodge Raphael’s submission attempts.

For: Cody Garbrandt

Cody “No Love” Garbrandt will make his Octagon comeback after almost a year of inactivity. He is riding a 3-fight loss streak, the first of which saw his title go away to T.J. Dillashaw. The losses added to the duration for which he has been out of competition will bring about a certain air of anxiety for the former champion.

He lost all his fights due to knockout. After his title loss to Dillashaw, he committed the same mistake again and again in the ext to fights by answering strikes that met his chin with an over-emotional barrage of swinging fists and knees.

However, the two negatives are likely to combine and make positive for “No Love”. The psychological anxiety that he will bring along, as any fighter would, will aid him in keeping his composure and not swinging out to victory.

Moreover, Garbrandt is extremely swift in both a stand-up fight and on the ground. He dodges strikes as neatly as anyone can, and scrambles on the ground fast enough for anyone to establish control.

In addition, instead of throwing strikes, we are most likely to see the old-school passive-aggressive stance from Garbrandt. This means that he will stand his ground, dodge, and pick opportune moments to dish out lightning-fast strikes to claim the victory.

Prediction

Both fighters hold the capacity to last the entirety of the fight without fazing out due to conditioning. Assuncao’s chin will prove to be a challenge for Garbrandt, but so will Garbrandt’s ground ability for Assuncao.

Cody will most certainly dominate the game standing up. If he manages to avoid getting clipped by the power that Raphael packs more than a few times, then e is golden to move on towards a victory.

Result: Cody Garbrandt wins via unanimous decision

Do you agree? Who do you think will win this Bantamweight war?! Share your predictions in the comments section!