Steve Cantwell vs. Razak Al-Hassan
In a matchup that could have implications on the Light Heavyweight title scene in the future, WEC Light Heavyweight Champion Steve Cantwell makes his UFC debut against another UFC newcomer, undefeated prospect Razak Al-Hussan. Cantwell will be looking to ride the momentum of his upset victory over Brian Stann to assert himself as a legitimate contender to the UFC belt in the wake of WEC’s Light Heavyweight division being merged into UFC’s.
Al-Hussan, an undefeated prospect who has made a tour of smaller shows, has put together an undefeated 6-0 record against largely unknown opponents. A moderately well-rounded fighter who relies largely on wrestling and submissions to succeed, Al-Hussan will no doubt be looking to take the fight to the ground against the heavy-handed Cantwell. A win against WEC’s last champion would no doubt secure Al-Hussan a place in UFC’s jam-packed Light Heavyweight division, so expect him to come out hungry and ready to fight.
Steve Cantwell, for his part, will likely to stuff Al-Hussan’s takedown attempts and punish him on the feet with heavy power shots. After avenging the only loss of his career in his last fight against Brian Stann in his last outing, Cantwell’s career path was thrown off course by the closing of WEC’s 205 pound division.
Now, Cantwell will need to rebuild his standing in a much more competitive division. The first step to doing that is to topple Hassan, which he should be able to do by way of a second round TKO.
