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BOSTON, MA – JANUARY 17: Luke Sanders celebrates after his submission victory over Maximo Blanco in their featherweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event inside TD Garden on January 17, 2016 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
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BOSTON, MA – JANUARY 17: Luke Sanders celebrates after his submission victory over Maximo Blanco in their featherweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event inside TD Garden on January 17, 2016 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
The first preliminary fight of the UFC Fight Night on November 28 will see Luke Sanders going up against Nathen Maness. This fight will be contested at a catchweight division. ‘Cool Hand’ Sanders will enter the octagon on the back of a win and will look to build on his momentum. Nate Maness too is coming off a unanimous decision win and will look to secure back-to-back wins.
Here we analyze both the fighters, their records, and predict who can leave the octagon with their hands raised.
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Men’s Catchweight: Luke Sanders vs. Nate Maness
Luke Sanders will enter the octagon as a favorite after a sturdy knockout victory against Renan Barao. The 13-3 fighter will seek to secure his fifth win inside the UFC. He enters as a favorite on the back of his KO win in his last outing. In the UFC, he has landed 6 strikes per minute with a 51% striking accuracy. Also, the southpaw has absorbed 4.05 strikes per minute.
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BOSTON, MA – JANUARY 17: Luke Sanders looks on after defeating Maximo Blanco (not pictured) in their featherweight bout during UFC Fight Night 81 at TD Banknorth Garden on January 17, 2016 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images)
His opponent, Nate Maness, is on a two-fight win streak. His recent win came against Johnny Munoz Jr. via UD in August. ‘Mayhem’ just has a single loss and 12 wins in his pro-MMA career. He is a proficient grappler, he has 100% takedown accuracy and 80% takedown defense.
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However, facing ‘Cool Hand’ who lands big strikes and quick counter punches won’t be a straightforward job for Nate. He will have to hunt for takedowns to keep Sanders silent throughout the fight.
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – AUGUST 01: (R-L) Nate Maness punches Johnny Munoz in their featherweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on August 01, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
If ‘Mayhem’ can nullify Sanders’ 70% takedown defense, it could cause problems for the striker. He will head into the fight at a five-inch reach disadvantage, which makes his task to strike even tougher. Expect this fight to be largely on the ground.
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Prediction: Nate Maness wins via decision.
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