Dana White’s Contender Series: Ian Escuza vs Luca Borando Preview & Prediction
by Gabriel Sheehan ·
Click here for today’s sports betting tips from our expert analysts!
Featherweight KO artists collide as Ian Escuza and Luca Borando throw down for a UFC contract.
Ian Escuza vs Luca Borando facts
What time are Ian Escuza and Luca Borando expected to walk out?
Where is DWCS – Season 10, Week 8 taking place? Meta Apex, Enterprise, USA
What TV channel is DWCS – Season 10, Week 8 on? UK – Not televised / USA – Not televised
Where can I stream DWCS – Season 10, Week 8? UK – UFC Fight Pass / USA – Paramount+ & UFC Fight Pass
DWCS – Season 10, Week 8 card
George Staines vs Loai Abushaar (Lightweight)
Ilias Bulaid vs Erick Visconde (Featherweight)
Camila Reynoso vs Aieza Ramos Bertolso (Women's Strawweight)
Ian Escuza vs Luca Borando (Featherweight)
Zaurbek Sabanov vs Adama Diop (Heavyweight)
Ian Escuza: The Muay Thai standout on the hunt for another highlight reel finish
Former Muay Thai world champion, Ian Escuza (7-0) owes his nickname to UFC great, Dominick Cruz, with “The Dominator” dubbing him “The Specimen” after seeing him in action at the UFC’s Mexico City Performance Institute. While his grappling remains an unproven quantity, the Peruvian is an extremely creative striker, chaining together dynamic techniques with ferocious power in each shot. He’s undefeated and has a 100% finish rate that includes an array of seriously nasty stoppages, from head kicks to spinning back elbow KOs. He’s on the older side for a prospect at 30, but doesn’t show any signs of slowing down as of yet.
Luca Borando: Will the Italian earn his sixth successive stoppage?
Currently riding a five fight win streak that includes five nasty finishes, Luca Borando (9-1) makes the jump from Cage Warriors in the hopes of securing a UFC contract. The 26 year old Italian is a legitimate KO artist with serious power in each limb, leveraging an excellent Muay Thai game to punish his opponents with strikes from all angles to the tune of seven KOs in nine fights. He doesn’t have the best takedown defence but works extremely hard to get back to his feet. He’s dropping down from his usual weight class to take this one, having historically fought most of his career at lightweight.
Ian Escuza vs Luca Borando prediction
This is a really tricky fight to call.
This bout is almost certainly going to be contested primarily on the feet, and as a former Muay Thai world champion, Escuza is probably the more technical striker of the two. In addition to a wealth of experience, he has excellent shot selection and brutal power, meaning that he could well catch Borando coming in and finish him.
However, I’m still leaning towards the Italian to get this one done here. He’s got a big size advantage, hits like a truck, and is riding an impressive wave of momentum with five consecutive stoppages. He’s also been much more active; Escuza has fought only fought once in the last two years.
There’s also the pair's level of respective opposition to take into account. Escuza’s MMA resume isn’t that impressive and it’s also come against opposition on the Peruvian circuit. Cage Warriors fighters have been hit-and-miss on the Contender Series, but I’d argue that the promotion provides stiffer levels of competition to Inka FC.
If this doesn’t end early, I envision a war unfolding between two heavy-handed KO artists in what is likely to be fight of the night. An Escuza win wouldn’t shock me, but I’m siding with Borando to get his hand raised.
Prediction: Luca Borando to win
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