Dana White’s Contender Series 80: Cezary Oleksiejczuk vs Theo Haig Preview & Prediction
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The hard hitting Cezary Oleksiejczuk looks to join his elder brother, Michal, in the UFC ranks at the expense of the undefeated American prospect, Theo Haig.
What time are Cezary Oleksiejczuk and Theo Haig expected to walk out?
Where is Dana White’s Contender Series 80? UFC Apex, Las Vegas, USA
What TV channel is Dana White’s Contender Series 80 on? UK – Not televised / USA – ESPN+
Where can I stream Dana White’s Contender Series 80? UK – UFC Fight Pass / USA – ESPN+ & UFC Fight Pass
Dana White’s Contender Series 80 card
Jack Congdon vs Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani (Welterweight)
Cezary Oleksiejczuk vs Theo Haig (Middleweight)
Samuel Silva vs Mandel Nallo (Lightweight)
Eduardo Henrique vs An Tuan Ho (Flyweight)
David Mgoyan vs Tommy McMillen (Featherweight)
Cezary Oleksiejczuk: Michal Oleksiejczuk's younger sibling looks to become the second member of the family to earn a UFC contract
Arriving on the Contender Series off the back of a three fight win streak, with all of those wins coming by knockout, Cezary Oleksiejczuk (15-3) aims to join his brother Michal in the MMA big leagues. Heavy hands appear to run in the Oleksiejczuk family; while Cezary has a number of submission wins from the early stages of his career, striking now appears to his bread and butter in light of the fact that the 25 year old prospect now has eight KO stoppages to his name. The former FEN welterweight and middleweight champion has also scored first round finishes over UFC veterans in the vein of Chris Fishgold and Tom Breese, a state of affairs that means he brings a considerable edge in experience to this match up with Theo Haig.
Theo Haig: The well-rounded American submission specialist aims to overcome a significant discrepancy in cage time
With a 100% finish rate by submission in his six fights to date, it's fair to say that one engages Theo Haig (6-0) on the ground at their own peril. A prolific back taker, the Bellator and LFA alum has been perfect throughout his professional career, with only one opponent managing to make it out of the first round against the undefeated American. However, despite his seemingly impressive accolades on paper, it's worth noting the 29 year old submission specialist's strength of schedule. For context, Haig's last two opponents had a dismal combined record of 25-41-1, while he has only fought fighters with winning records on two occasions to date.
Cezary Oleksiejczuk vs Theo Haig prediction
On paper, this appears to be the Contender Series' latest take on the classic "striker vs grappler" clash of styles.
Given the vast discrepancy in overall experience and cage time between the two fighters, Oleksiejczuk figures to be the safe bet here. Haig isn't completely clueless on the feet, but considering that Cezary boasts eight wins by KO and has a near four inch reach advantage, it's hard to escape the feeling that the American could get lit up like a Christmas tree if he is unable to drag this contest to the mat.
If it does get that far, it will be interesting to see whether Cezary possesses the same Achilles heel as his brother, Michal - namely, grappling defense. While the Polish fighter stuffs takedowns at a decent rate and has even historically attacked subs in order to create space, he could be in for a long night here if Haig manages to ground him and work his submission game.
However, given Oleksiejczuk's power and resume, it's difficult to pick against him until Haig proves himself capable of dispatching fighters on his current opponent's level. Another submission win for the American wouldn't come as a seismic upset, but the pick is for Oleksiejczuk to shuck off the takedowns and score a late finish on the feet.
Prediction: Cezary Oleksiejczuk to win by TKO
