Marcus Buchecha and Kennedy Nzechukwu meet on the UFC on ESPN 73 main card Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.
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Marcus Buchecha vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu UFC on ESPN 73 preview
Buchecha (5-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) didn’t get his UFC career off to the right start after coming over from ONE Championship, dropping a unanimous decision to Martin Buday in July.
Nzechukwu (14-6 MMA, 8-6 UFC) is 2-3 in his most recent five fights and in his last appearance had a two-fighting winning streak snapped when he was submitted by Valter Walker.
Marcus Buchecha vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu UFC on ESPN 73 expert pick, prediction
Filling out the main card is a heavyweight affair between Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Marcus Buchecha.
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Although this matchup feels a bit strange for a second swing at bat for Buchecha, this is one of the few heavyweight fights that will feature decent athletes – which is rare considering the wasteland that is the heavyweight division.
Considering the small cage and traditional submission susceptibility at heavyweight, I’d say that Buchecha has a decent shot to get a submission win in this spot.
The potential problem, however, is that Buchecha doesn’t seem to have a ton of depth to his takedown game or gas tank that could stack up against him fast if the Brazilian fails to secure positive positions on the mat early.
Not only is Nzechukwu the superior striker who can hurt Buchecha at range with his southpaw game, but “The African Savage” also has a sneaky guillotine that could surprise his opponent (especially if Buchecha is tired or hurt).
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Although it sounds crazy to even lend credence to a grappler of Buchecha’s level getting submitted, we’ve seen crazy outcomes like that in MMA before. But regardless of how the Fortis MMA product gets it done, I’ll officially pick Nzechukwu to find a finish in Round 2.
Marcus Buchecha vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu UFC on ESPN 73 odds
The oddsmakers and the public are favoring the slightly younger fighter, listing Nzechukwu -138 and Buchecha +112 via FanDuel.
Marcus Buchecha vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu UFC on ESPN 73 start time, how to watch
Buchecha and Nzechukwu are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 10:30 p.m. ET. The fight broadcasts live on ESPN2 and streams on ESPN+.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Vegas 112: Marcus Buchecha vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu prediction, start time
