UFC Fight Night 27 Preview

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Middleweights

Brad Tavares (10-1, 5-1 UFC) vs. Bubba McDaniel (21-6, 1-0 UFC)

The Matchup: Tavares has quietly compiled a solid resume in the UFC, winning five of six fights while toiling primarily on event undercards. The 25-year-old Hawaiian has been more workmanlike than spectacular, utilizing a solid jab, effective counterpunching and timely takedowns to carry him to victory. Tavares is a tough-minded middleweight who does not mind trading punches, although he has not finished a fight since scoring a first-round knockout against Phil Baroni at UFC 125 in 2011.

Outside of Uriah Hall and Kelvin Gastelum, McDaniel was arguably the most visible and memorable member of “The Ultimate Fighter 17” cast. While not especially overwhelming during elimination fights, the Texan delivered under pressure by submitting Gilbert Smith at the finale; a loss could have resulted in McDaniel receiving his walking papers. The Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts product was composed and patient against Smith and gradually become more dominant as his thickly muscled foe fatigued over the second half of their matchup.

A crafty submission specialist, McDaniel was able to pass Smith’s guard or reverse position after being taken down with relative ease, but he figures to face a more difficult task against Tavares, who is more likely to favor a standup-oriented affair. McDaniel is a large middleweight, but he does not necessarily excel at getting the fight where he wants by overpowering opponents. Instead, the 30-year-old finds a way to win positional battles through sweeps, transitions and reversals, and he is not uncomfortable working from his back. Tavares has fairly stout takedown defense, but, in his only loss, Aaron Simpson dictated the action through tie-ups in a grinding battle at UFC 132. Still, the Hawaiian was able to stuff 13 of Simpson’s takedown attempts in defeat, and McDaniel is not at Simpson’s level when it comes to wrestling.

McDaniel did a decent job of throwing punches in combination and doing damage in the clinch in brief spurts against Smith, but he will be better served to get Tavares to the ground or risk finding himself on the end of his opponent’s jab for the better part of 15 minutes. The challenge will be finding creative ways to bring the fight into his world.

The Pick: Tavares is a difficult matchup for McDaniel’s sophomore Octagon venture, but “The Menace” will make this competitive. Tavares avoids spending too much time on the ground with McDaniel and slugs his way to three-round verdict.

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