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Welcome to the MMA News’ Sleeper Scrap! The relentless schedule of the MMA world means that some fans don’t have a full look at a fight card until days before the event, leaving the promoters to decide which bouts you should be paying the most attention to.
Everyone wants to tune in for main events and fights that feature popular names, but that means meaningful or potentially action-packed matchups from elsewhere on fight cards sometimes get lost in the shuffle. A Sleeper Scrap might highlight interesting style matchups, fighters with notable storylines, or bouts that simply have the chance to be a Fight of the Night contender.
Last week’s Sleeper Scrap saw Jonas Bilharinho score a fantastic body kick finish against Caio Machado at LFA 151, and this week’s MMA schedule includes the UFC‘s return to action with UFC Vegas 68.
The card is headlined by the rescheduled matchup between Derrick Lewis and Serghei Spivac, and the top three fights all take place in the UFC’s two heaviest weight classes. The undercard includes quite a few interesting matchups with the four final bouts for the Road to UFC series, but the event’s Sleeper Scrap is the featherweight fight between Doo Ho Choi and Kyle Nelson.
The Fighters
Kyle Nelson joined the UFC in 2018 after putting together a 12-1 record in regional organizations, but so far the Canadian has struggled to find any real success since debuting in the promotion.
“The Monster” was handed a tough assignment for his first fight when he took on UFC veteran Diego Ferreira but was stopped in the second round, and that result was followed by a second-round submission loss to Matt Sayles.
Nelson rebounded by stopping Polo Reyes in the opening round for his first UFC victory, but the momentum of that win was unfortunately short-lived. The 31-year-old was stopped by Billy Quarantillo in his next fight and returned from a nearly two-year layoff in his most recent bout to take on Jai Herbert at lightweight, but Nelson lost a unanimous decision that put him on a two-fight losing streak.
Doo Ho Choi has also had a rough go of things during his last few fights, but he previously carried quite a bit of hype after starting his UFC run with three first-round knockouts.
Choi’s fight with Cub Swanson was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame last year. (Zuffa LLC)
“The Korean Superboy” was the UFC’s #11-ranked featherweight when he took on Cub Swanson at UFC 206, and the pair ended up putting on an incredible fight that was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame last year. Choi’s stock rose after that fight even though he lost the decision, which resulted in a main event slot opposite Jeremy Stephens in his next bout.
The fight with Stephens started well before Choi was stopped in the second round, and the South Korean suddenly found himself on a three-fight skid when he was finished by Charles Jourdain before experiencing a significant layoff due to mandatory military service and injuries.
The Matchup
Both of these featherweights are willing to mix in takedowns but prefer to do most of their work on the feet, and hopefully that should translate into an entertaining striking match for the fans.
Nelson prefers to come forward and throw big punches if given the option, and although he sometimes comes in on straight lines with his chin exposed the 31-year-old does a good job of mixing things up to the head and body as his opponents are backing up.
The Canadian’s work in the clinch is arguably the best part of his game, as he’s often able to land strikes against the fence without giving up dominant position. Nelson showed in his lone UFC victory against Reyes that he can throw dangerous elbows on the break, and during clinches in open space he likes to establish head control to land knees.
“The Monster” doesn’t have a particularly diverse kicking game, but he does frequently go for a hard outside low kick that can trouble opponents if they don’t address it. The 31-year-old also likes to throw up a quick lead leg high kick and rear front kick to the body, but as with his punches, these attacks sometimes leave him open to be countered.
Nelson’s only UFC victory came when he battered Polo Reyes against the cage for a first-round stoppage. (Zuffa LLC)
Choi relies on a fairly standard array of strikes on the feet, but a quick glance at the number of finishes on his record shows he’s powerful enough to get by with a few simple weapons.
“The Korean Superboy” doesn’t spend too much time jabbing as a solo strike, but he loves throwing 1-2’s and will also load up to throw a hard right straight on its own. When he cracks an opponent and has them covered up he’ll mix in left hooks and uppercuts to round out his combinations, especially if it seems like a finish might be close.
One thing Choi has in common with Nelson is that they both like working in the clinch, although Choi is less interested in working against the fence and more likely to grab head control in open space. The South Korean will immediately start throwing knees as soon as he has an opponent’s head, but he’s also quick to snatch their neck if the opposing fighter leans too far forward during the exchange.
The Stakes
Both of these men are on losing streaks and are likely fighting for their jobs, but for Nelson the situation is probably more dire simply because he’s gone 1-4 in the UFC so far.
“The Monster” may have had a couple of difficult matchups, but fighters have been cut from the UFC for a lot less than Nelson’s recent record. He came into the UFC with quite a few finishes and has shown good moments even in his losses, but another setback here would almost certainly be the end of his time in the promotion.
Choi is in an interesting spot given that he’s already a UFC Hall of Famer and previously carried quite a lot of hype, but due to his three-fight losing streak and military service he actually hasn’t won a fight since 2016. Plenty of longtime fans will remember when he joined the UFC and put on that epic battle with Cub Swanson, but the 31-year-old is desperately in need of a win to snap his losing streak and reintroduce himself to new fans of the sport.
Choi’s loss to Charles Jourdain was his third in a row and preceded a long layoff. (Zuffa LLC)
One of the major factors in this fight will be seeing how Choi looks following his layoff, especially considering that he was stopped in back-to-back bouts the last time he was active. The time away could certainly be beneficial after those difficult losses and the damage he took against Swanson, but there’s no guarantee he’s going to return after such a long time and look like the same fighter he was previously.
The fact that both guys are almost certainly fighting for their UFC careers is reason enough to pay attention to this fight, but there’s also a good chance this one turns out to have plenty of action.
Choi was extremely aggressive the last time fans saw him in 2019 against Jourdain, and if Nelson also comes in with some urgency to preserve his job, then these two could trade strikes until one of them ends up on the canvas.
How do you think this bout between Choi and Nelson will turn out? Are there any other fights from UFC Vegas 68 that you feel deserve more attention?
Welcome to the MMA News’ Sleeper Scrap! The relentless schedule of the MMA world means that some fans don’t have a full look at a fight card until days before the event, leaving the promoters to decide which bouts you should be paying the most attention to.
Everyone wants to tune in for main events and fights that feature popular names, but that means meaningful or potentially action-packed matchups from elsewhere on fight cards sometimes get lost in the shuffle. A Sleeper Scrap might highlight interesting style matchups, fighters with notable storylines, or bouts that simply have the chance to be a Fight of the Night contender.
Last week’s Sleeper Scrap saw Jonas Bilharinho score a fantastic body kick finish against Caio Machado at LFA 151, and this week’s MMA schedule includes the UFC‘s return to action with UFC Vegas 68.
The card is headlined by the rescheduled matchup between Derrick Lewis and Serghei Spivac, and the top three fights all take place in the UFC’s two heaviest weight classes. The undercard includes quite a few interesting matchups with the four final bouts for the Road to UFC series, but the event’s Sleeper Scrap is the featherweight fight between Doo Ho Choi and Kyle Nelson.
The Fighters
Kyle Nelson joined the UFC in 2018 after putting together a 12-1 record in regional organizations, but so far the Canadian has struggled to find any real success since debuting in the promotion.
“The Monster” was handed a tough assignment for his first fight when he took on UFC veteran Diego Ferreira but was stopped in the second round, and that result was followed by a second-round submission loss to Matt Sayles.
Nelson rebounded by stopping Polo Reyes in the opening round for his first UFC victory, but the momentum of that win was unfortunately short-lived. The 31-year-old was stopped by Billy Quarantillo in his next fight and returned from a nearly two-year layoff in his most recent bout to take on Jai Herbert at lightweight, but Nelson lost a unanimous decision that put him on a two-fight losing streak.
Doo Ho Choi has also had a rough go of things during his last few fights, but he previously carried quite a bit of hype after starting his UFC run with three first-round knockouts.
Choi’s fight with Cub Swanson was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame last year. (Zuffa LLC)
“The Korean Superboy” was the UFC’s #11-ranked featherweight when he took on Cub Swanson at UFC 206, and the pair ended up putting on an incredible fight that was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame last year. Choi’s stock rose after that fight even though he lost the decision, which resulted in a main event slot opposite Jeremy Stephens in his next bout.
The fight with Stephens started well before Choi was stopped in the second round, and the South Korean suddenly found himself on a three-fight skid when he was finished by Charles Jourdain before experiencing a significant layoff due to mandatory military service and injuries.
The Matchup
Both of these featherweights are willing to mix in takedowns but prefer to do most of their work on the feet, and hopefully that should translate into an entertaining striking match for the fans.
Nelson prefers to come forward and throw big punches if given the option, and although he sometimes comes in on straight lines with his chin exposed the 31-year-old does a good job of mixing things up to the head and body as his opponents are backing up.
The Canadian’s work in the clinch is arguably the best part of his game, as he’s often able to land strikes against the fence without giving up dominant position. Nelson showed in his lone UFC victory against Reyes that he can throw dangerous elbows on the break, and during clinches in open space he likes to establish head control to land knees.
“The Monster” doesn’t have a particularly diverse kicking game, but he does frequently go for a hard outside low kick that can trouble opponents if they don’t address it. The 31-year-old also likes to throw up a quick lead leg high kick and rear front kick to the body, but as with his punches, these attacks sometimes leave him open to be countered.
Nelson’s only UFC victory came when he battered Polo Reyes against the cage for a first-round stoppage. (Zuffa LLC)
Choi relies on a fairly standard array of strikes on the feet, but a quick glance at the number of finishes on his record shows he’s powerful enough to get by with a few simple weapons.
“The Korean Superboy” doesn’t spend too much time jabbing as a solo strike, but he loves throwing 1-2’s and will also load up to throw a hard right straight on its own. When he cracks an opponent and has them covered up he’ll mix in left hooks and uppercuts to round out his combinations, especially if it seems like a finish might be close.
One thing Choi has in common with Nelson is that they both like working in the clinch, although Choi is less interested in working against the fence and more likely to grab head control in open space. The South Korean will immediately start throwing knees as soon as he has an opponent’s head, but he’s also quick to snatch their neck if the opposing fighter leans too far forward during the exchange.
The Stakes
Both of these men are on losing streaks and are likely fighting for their jobs, but for Nelson the situation is probably more dire simply because he’s gone 1-4 in the UFC so far.
“The Monster” may have had a couple of difficult matchups, but fighters have been cut from the UFC for a lot less than Nelson’s recent record. He came into the UFC with quite a few finishes and has shown good moments even in his losses, but another setback here would almost certainly be the end of his time in the promotion.
Choi is in an interesting spot given that he’s already a UFC Hall of Famer and previously carried quite a lot of hype, but due to his three-fight losing streak and military service he actually hasn’t won a fight since 2016. Plenty of longtime fans will remember when he joined the UFC and put on that epic battle with Cub Swanson, but the 31-year-old is desperately in need of a win to snap his losing streak and reintroduce himself to new fans of the sport.
Choi’s loss to Charles Jourdain was his third in a row and preceded a long layoff. (Zuffa LLC)
One of the major factors in this fight will be seeing how Choi looks following his layoff, especially considering that he was stopped in back-to-back bouts the last time he was active. The time away could certainly be beneficial after those difficult losses and the damage he took against Swanson, but there’s no guarantee he’s going to return after such a long time and look like the same fighter he was previously.
The fact that both guys are almost certainly fighting for their UFC careers is reason enough to pay attention to this fight, but there’s also a good chance this one turns out to have plenty of action.
Choi was extremely aggressive the last time fans saw him in 2019 against Jourdain, and if Nelson also comes in with some urgency to preserve his job, then these two could trade strikes until one of them ends up on the canvas.
How do you think this bout between Choi and Nelson will turn out? Are there any other fights from UFC Vegas 68 that you feel deserve more attention?
Click here to view the article.
Everyone wants to tune in for main events and fights that feature popular names, but that means meaningful or potentially action-packed matchups from elsewhere on fight cards sometimes get lost in the shuffle. A Sleeper Scrap might highlight interesting style matchups, fighters with notable storylines, or bouts that simply have the chance to be a Fight of the Night contender.
Last week’s Sleeper Scrap saw Jonas Bilharinho score a fantastic body kick finish against Caio Machado at LFA 151, and this week’s MMA schedule includes the UFC‘s return to action with UFC Vegas 68.
The card is headlined by the rescheduled matchup between Derrick Lewis and Serghei Spivac, and the top three fights all take place in the UFC’s two heaviest weight classes. The undercard includes quite a few interesting matchups with the four final bouts for the Road to UFC series, but the event’s Sleeper Scrap is the featherweight fight between Doo Ho Choi and Kyle Nelson.
The Fighters
Kyle Nelson joined the UFC in 2018 after putting together a 12-1 record in regional organizations, but so far the Canadian has struggled to find any real success since debuting in the promotion.
“The Monster” was handed a tough assignment for his first fight when he took on UFC veteran Diego Ferreira but was stopped in the second round, and that result was followed by a second-round submission loss to Matt Sayles.
Nelson rebounded by stopping Polo Reyes in the opening round for his first UFC victory, but the momentum of that win was unfortunately short-lived. The 31-year-old was stopped by Billy Quarantillo in his next fight and returned from a nearly two-year layoff in his most recent bout to take on Jai Herbert at lightweight, but Nelson lost a unanimous decision that put him on a two-fight losing streak.
Doo Ho Choi has also had a rough go of things during his last few fights, but he previously carried quite a bit of hype after starting his UFC run with three first-round knockouts.
Choi’s fight with Cub Swanson was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame last year. (Zuffa LLC)
“The Korean Superboy” was the UFC’s #11-ranked featherweight when he took on Cub Swanson at UFC 206, and the pair ended up putting on an incredible fight that was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame last year. Choi’s stock rose after that fight even though he lost the decision, which resulted in a main event slot opposite Jeremy Stephens in his next bout.
The fight with Stephens started well before Choi was stopped in the second round, and the South Korean suddenly found himself on a three-fight skid when he was finished by Charles Jourdain before experiencing a significant layoff due to mandatory military service and injuries.
The Matchup
Both of these featherweights are willing to mix in takedowns but prefer to do most of their work on the feet, and hopefully that should translate into an entertaining striking match for the fans.
Nelson prefers to come forward and throw big punches if given the option, and although he sometimes comes in on straight lines with his chin exposed the 31-year-old does a good job of mixing things up to the head and body as his opponents are backing up.
The Canadian’s work in the clinch is arguably the best part of his game, as he’s often able to land strikes against the fence without giving up dominant position. Nelson showed in his lone UFC victory against Reyes that he can throw dangerous elbows on the break, and during clinches in open space he likes to establish head control to land knees.
“The Monster” doesn’t have a particularly diverse kicking game, but he does frequently go for a hard outside low kick that can trouble opponents if they don’t address it. The 31-year-old also likes to throw up a quick lead leg high kick and rear front kick to the body, but as with his punches, these attacks sometimes leave him open to be countered.
Nelson’s only UFC victory came when he battered Polo Reyes against the cage for a first-round stoppage. (Zuffa LLC)
Choi relies on a fairly standard array of strikes on the feet, but a quick glance at the number of finishes on his record shows he’s powerful enough to get by with a few simple weapons.
“The Korean Superboy” doesn’t spend too much time jabbing as a solo strike, but he loves throwing 1-2’s and will also load up to throw a hard right straight on its own. When he cracks an opponent and has them covered up he’ll mix in left hooks and uppercuts to round out his combinations, especially if it seems like a finish might be close.
One thing Choi has in common with Nelson is that they both like working in the clinch, although Choi is less interested in working against the fence and more likely to grab head control in open space. The South Korean will immediately start throwing knees as soon as he has an opponent’s head, but he’s also quick to snatch their neck if the opposing fighter leans too far forward during the exchange.
The Stakes
Both of these men are on losing streaks and are likely fighting for their jobs, but for Nelson the situation is probably more dire simply because he’s gone 1-4 in the UFC so far.
“The Monster” may have had a couple of difficult matchups, but fighters have been cut from the UFC for a lot less than Nelson’s recent record. He came into the UFC with quite a few finishes and has shown good moments even in his losses, but another setback here would almost certainly be the end of his time in the promotion.
Choi is in an interesting spot given that he’s already a UFC Hall of Famer and previously carried quite a lot of hype, but due to his three-fight losing streak and military service he actually hasn’t won a fight since 2016. Plenty of longtime fans will remember when he joined the UFC and put on that epic battle with Cub Swanson, but the 31-year-old is desperately in need of a win to snap his losing streak and reintroduce himself to new fans of the sport.
Choi’s loss to Charles Jourdain was his third in a row and preceded a long layoff. (Zuffa LLC)
One of the major factors in this fight will be seeing how Choi looks following his layoff, especially considering that he was stopped in back-to-back bouts the last time he was active. The time away could certainly be beneficial after those difficult losses and the damage he took against Swanson, but there’s no guarantee he’s going to return after such a long time and look like the same fighter he was previously.
The fact that both guys are almost certainly fighting for their UFC careers is reason enough to pay attention to this fight, but there’s also a good chance this one turns out to have plenty of action.
Choi was extremely aggressive the last time fans saw him in 2019 against Jourdain, and if Nelson also comes in with some urgency to preserve his job, then these two could trade strikes until one of them ends up on the canvas.
How do you think this bout between Choi and Nelson will turn out? Are there any other fights from UFC Vegas 68 that you feel deserve more attention?
Welcome to the MMA News’ Sleeper Scrap! The relentless schedule of the MMA world means that some fans don’t have a full look at a fight card until days before the event, leaving the promoters to decide which bouts you should be paying the most attention to.
Everyone wants to tune in for main events and fights that feature popular names, but that means meaningful or potentially action-packed matchups from elsewhere on fight cards sometimes get lost in the shuffle. A Sleeper Scrap might highlight interesting style matchups, fighters with notable storylines, or bouts that simply have the chance to be a Fight of the Night contender.
Last week’s Sleeper Scrap saw Jonas Bilharinho score a fantastic body kick finish against Caio Machado at LFA 151, and this week’s MMA schedule includes the UFC‘s return to action with UFC Vegas 68.
The card is headlined by the rescheduled matchup between Derrick Lewis and Serghei Spivac, and the top three fights all take place in the UFC’s two heaviest weight classes. The undercard includes quite a few interesting matchups with the four final bouts for the Road to UFC series, but the event’s Sleeper Scrap is the featherweight fight between Doo Ho Choi and Kyle Nelson.
The Fighters
Kyle Nelson joined the UFC in 2018 after putting together a 12-1 record in regional organizations, but so far the Canadian has struggled to find any real success since debuting in the promotion.
“The Monster” was handed a tough assignment for his first fight when he took on UFC veteran Diego Ferreira but was stopped in the second round, and that result was followed by a second-round submission loss to Matt Sayles.
Nelson rebounded by stopping Polo Reyes in the opening round for his first UFC victory, but the momentum of that win was unfortunately short-lived. The 31-year-old was stopped by Billy Quarantillo in his next fight and returned from a nearly two-year layoff in his most recent bout to take on Jai Herbert at lightweight, but Nelson lost a unanimous decision that put him on a two-fight losing streak.
Doo Ho Choi has also had a rough go of things during his last few fights, but he previously carried quite a bit of hype after starting his UFC run with three first-round knockouts.
“The Korean Superboy” was the UFC’s #11-ranked featherweight when he took on Cub Swanson at UFC 206, and the pair ended up putting on an incredible fight that was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame last year. Choi’s stock rose after that fight even though he lost the decision, which resulted in a main event slot opposite Jeremy Stephens in his next bout.
The fight with Stephens started well before Choi was stopped in the second round, and the South Korean suddenly found himself on a three-fight skid when he was finished by Charles Jourdain before experiencing a significant layoff due to mandatory military service and injuries.
The Matchup
Both of these featherweights are willing to mix in takedowns but prefer to do most of their work on the feet, and hopefully that should translate into an entertaining striking match for the fans.
Nelson prefers to come forward and throw big punches if given the option, and although he sometimes comes in on straight lines with his chin exposed the 31-year-old does a good job of mixing things up to the head and body as his opponents are backing up.
The Canadian’s work in the clinch is arguably the best part of his game, as he’s often able to land strikes against the fence without giving up dominant position. Nelson showed in his lone UFC victory against Reyes that he can throw dangerous elbows on the break, and during clinches in open space he likes to establish head control to land knees.
“The Monster” doesn’t have a particularly diverse kicking game, but he does frequently go for a hard outside low kick that can trouble opponents if they don’t address it. The 31-year-old also likes to throw up a quick lead leg high kick and rear front kick to the body, but as with his punches, these attacks sometimes leave him open to be countered.
Choi relies on a fairly standard array of strikes on the feet, but a quick glance at the number of finishes on his record shows he’s powerful enough to get by with a few simple weapons.
“The Korean Superboy” doesn’t spend too much time jabbing as a solo strike, but he loves throwing 1-2’s and will also load up to throw a hard right straight on its own. When he cracks an opponent and has them covered up he’ll mix in left hooks and uppercuts to round out his combinations, especially if it seems like a finish might be close.
One thing Choi has in common with Nelson is that they both like working in the clinch, although Choi is less interested in working against the fence and more likely to grab head control in open space. The South Korean will immediately start throwing knees as soon as he has an opponent’s head, but he’s also quick to snatch their neck if the opposing fighter leans too far forward during the exchange.
The Stakes
Both of these men are on losing streaks and are likely fighting for their jobs, but for Nelson the situation is probably more dire simply because he’s gone 1-4 in the UFC so far.
“The Monster” may have had a couple of difficult matchups, but fighters have been cut from the UFC for a lot less than Nelson’s recent record. He came into the UFC with quite a few finishes and has shown good moments even in his losses, but another setback here would almost certainly be the end of his time in the promotion.
Choi is in an interesting spot given that he’s already a UFC Hall of Famer and previously carried quite a lot of hype, but due to his three-fight losing streak and military service he actually hasn’t won a fight since 2016. Plenty of longtime fans will remember when he joined the UFC and put on that epic battle with Cub Swanson, but the 31-year-old is desperately in need of a win to snap his losing streak and reintroduce himself to new fans of the sport.
One of the major factors in this fight will be seeing how Choi looks following his layoff, especially considering that he was stopped in back-to-back bouts the last time he was active. The time away could certainly be beneficial after those difficult losses and the damage he took against Swanson, but there’s no guarantee he’s going to return after such a long time and look like the same fighter he was previously.
The fact that both guys are almost certainly fighting for their UFC careers is reason enough to pay attention to this fight, but there’s also a good chance this one turns out to have plenty of action.
Choi was extremely aggressive the last time fans saw him in 2019 against Jourdain, and if Nelson also comes in with some urgency to preserve his job, then these two could trade strikes until one of them ends up on the canvas.
How do you think this bout between Choi and Nelson will turn out? Are there any other fights from UFC Vegas 68 that you feel deserve more attention?
Click here to view the article.
