UFC 261: Uriah Hall vs Chris Weidman- Main Card Prediction and Analysis

UFC middleweights Uriah Hall and Chris Weidman will go at it on the main card for UFC 261 in Florida. Chiefly, both men are looking to gain traction in the division and return to the position they once held. What’s more, the stylistic clash is something that fans have taken notice of and the fighter with the better game plan will be triumphant.

The 185-pound division is currently talent stacked at the very top with an ongoing race to see who will fight Israel Adesanya. In fact, there was a sort of unofficial tournament which just wrapped up not too long ago. Weidman and Hall have the opportunity to introduce themselves into that narrative with a statement performance.

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UFC 261: Uriah Hall vs Chris Weidman

‘Primetime’ last fought back in October, where he served as Anderson Silva’s retirement fight. Hall came out on top with a fourth-round TKO win after weathering an early storm from the crafty former champion. Given Hall’s fighting style, he certainly has an uphill battle taking on a pressure fighter like Chris Weidman.

Uriah Hall has shown in the past that he doesn’t respond too well to a crippling forward pressure by elite wrestlers. Weidman certainly fits all those boxes and can potentially walk away with a comprehensive victory at UFC 261. Uriah Hall’s best bet would be to rely on his explosiveness and catch Weidman as he comes into range.

‘The All-American’: On the comeback trail

‘The All-American’ has had a rough go in his career ever since losing the belt to Luke Rockhold at UFC 194. He’s 2-5 in his last 7 outings, however, he is coming off a dominant win over Omari Akhmedov in his last fight. In that fight, Chris Weidman was able to circumvent a weakness he has shown in the past of taking his foot off the gas in the third round.

Weidman will be looking to mix in his takedown threat along with the wide-angle striking that got him the middleweight title. He’ll have to be wary of Uriah Hall’s switch kicks that come off without any telegraph when entering into close range. All in all, a solid pace mixed with fundamentals should be enough to win.

Prediction: Chris Weidman to claim a third-round submission win.