UFC Heavyweight bout: Cheick Kongo vs. Matt Mitrione
Odds: (+110 Kongo /-140 Mitrione )
Betting Pick: Mitrione
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In what has the makings of a very competitive Heavyweight bout, tough French kickboxer Cheick Kongo will square off against undefeated prospect Matt Mitrione. Kongo is a great striker, and by far the more experienced of the two, but Mitrione has devastating punching power and has improved dramatically every time he has stepped into the Octagon. Although Kongo is known for his powerful striking, it will be interesting to see how Mitrione handles his takedowns, which are severely underrated and will give Mitrione a challenge he hasn’t had to deal with yet in his professional career. On the feet, this one could promise some fireworks, because both of these guys have great technique and a surplus of power.
Matt Mitrione, a former NFL player who competed as part of The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights, is one of the most exciting young prospects in the Heavyweight division. Since appearing on the reality show, Mitrione has grown into a devastating striker who bruises his opponents with constantly improving technique and punching power. There is no question that Kongo is a step up in competition for him, but Mitrione has the kind of power that could trouble anyone if he starts connecting. Kongo is a great opponent to determine just where Mitrione stands at this phase of his career, because he is capable of testing “Meathead’s” chin and his takedown defense and ability to work off his back. On the feet, Mitrione is probably less technical than Kongo, but his punches pack more power for sure. Kongo, despite his reputation as a striker, has very good takedowns and dominant ground and pound, so Mitrione is going to have to be careful about overcommitting to his punching flurries and setting himself up for takedowns, but on the feet he will be in a great position to win this fight and keep moving up the Heavyweight ladder.
French kickboxer Cheick Kongo is a very tough and dangerous fighter with a well-rounded offensive skill set. He is known as a striker primarily, and he has very good technique and a lot of punching power, but he also has rather underrated wrestling and devastating ground and pound. Obviously, because of his kickboxing base, Kongo prefers to stand and trade, but when he needs to he is capable of forcing fights to the ground and committing extreme violence from top position. Against Mitrione, who hits like a truck but has never really had his takedown defense and ground game tested, Kongo would be wise to try and ground this fight and force Mitrione to work off his back, which would put him in an unfamiliar position, take away his primary strength as a fighter, and play into one of his own strengths at the same time.
This is a tough fight to call because so much depends on how Kongo chooses to approach this fight. Kongo clearly likes to stand and bang, and if he underestimates Mitrione’s power and tries to make this a standup war, he could wind up paying dearly. Kongo is a great striker, but Mitrione is the harder puncher for sure and one shot could spell the end of Kongo’s night. If Kongo forces a ground fight, though, I don’t see Mitrione being able to effectively work off his back and prevent Kongo from lambasting him with brutal ground and pound. Ultimately, I think Kongo will make the mistake of trying to box with Mitrione, and he will pay the price when Mitrione starts connecting with power punches for the T/KO victory.
Prediction: Matt “Meathead” Mitrione via second round T/KO.
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