With all the brilliant fights on the main card at UFC 214, it would be easy to overlook some of the great match-ups that are in the preliminaries. One such fight is Renato Moicano versus Brian Ortega – two brilliant fighters who are sure to slug out a great bout.
If Brian Ortega keeps on going the way he is going, then it won’t be long before he is taken off these preliminary fights and put on the main card. The man is an absolute beast and he has gone eleven fights in his MMA career unbeaten. At the moment, his rise to the top is looking more about the “when?” than the “if?”.
His opponent, Renato Moicano is no slouch either. He has also won eleven bouts without losing, although there is a draw on his record. This is genuinely one of the best preliminary bouts that has been on in years, so don’t wait for the big guns to arrive as you will definitely regret it.
It won’t be long before these guys are at the top, but before that, somebody’s zero has to go.
Renato Moicano’s form
Moicano’s last fight brought an impressive decision victory over UFC veteran, Jeremy Stephens. You don’t defeat Jeremy Stephens without knowing how to battle and this man definitely knows how to bring the war.
Prior to that, he took down Zubaira Tukhugov in equally impressive fashion. This man has never ever lost a bout, so that wherewithal will stand to him should this fight extend into the third round. He knows how to grind out wins, but whether he can do it against Ortega is another matter entirely – this really is an exciting fight.
Brian Ortega’s form
Ortega has been just as impressive as his competitor. If draws were more likely in combat sports, we’d probably even suggest backing that. His last win came against Clay Guida and he also holds impressive victories over the likes of Diego Brandao and Thiago Tavares.
He has finished his last three fights early with a supreme mix of knock out power and impressive submissions. Do not be surprised to see him aim for another early finish here. He may even get it!
News
Brian Ortega is one of only two LA locals on the bill and we will be keen to impress his home crowd after his yearlong lay-off. It will be interesting to see whether he rises to the occasion or freezes in what is the biggest fight of his fledgling career to date.
Betting
We have thought long and hard about this one as it is such a close fight. Both competitors have their plusses and very few negatives and many of their attributes are similar. However, we are going to have to go for Ortega. He is fighting in-front of his hometown and if he is on the back foot, that will give him encouragement. If he is attacking, that will help too, so we are backing him at a price of 5/4 with Ladbrokes.
He goes into this bout as slight underdog and we would not be surprised to see him upset those odds in a brilliant fight.