MMA Preview – Cheyanne Buys vs Mallory Martin at UFC on ESPN 31
CHEYANNE BUYS VS MALLORY MARTIN FACTS
When is UFC on ESPN 31? Sunday 5th December, 2021 - 01:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC on ESPN 31? UFC APEX, Enterprise, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC on ESPN 31? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC events
What channel is UFC on ESPN 31 on? BT Sport 1
Where can I stream UFC on ESPN 31? BT Sport subscribers can stream the fight online via the BT Sport website
For viewers in the United States, the event will be shown live on ESPN+ and you can sign up for access as part of a Disney Bundle here!
CHEYANNE BUYS VS MALLORY MARTIN LOWDOWN
Cheyanne Buys (6-2) aka Cheyanne Vlisman got her UFC career up and running in spectacular fashion back in July. She was sitting at 5-1 after earning a unanimous decision over Hilarie Rose on the Contender Series and made her debut against fellow debutant Montserrat Ruiz four months prior. There was a fair bit of hype around Buys before the fight, but Ruiz popped it with a dominant grappling display earning a unanimous decision. She returned against Gloria de Paula and reminded everyone why there was some hype by knocking her out in the first round and collecting a ‘performance of the night’ bonus in the process.
Mallory Martin (7-4) also suffered a deflating loss on her debut. Virna Jandiroba collected the 12th submission of her career snapping a five-fight win streak. She bounced back with a submission of her own against Hannah Cifers but got submitted again by Polyana Viana back in February this year. She is now 1-2 in the UFC and although her losses where to quality competition, she needs a win to earn any relevancy in the division.
CHEYANNE BUYS VS MALLORY MARTIN PREDICTION
Martin has a huge opportunity here to catapult her stock like Ruiz did. Her best chance is to rely on her grappling. She can strike but Buys is a level above and after seeing Ruiz ragdoll her around, she is likely to shoot in for a takedown at some point hoping to show off her jiu-jitsu skills.
If she can get the fight to the ground she has a chance, but we have not seen enough to suggest she can perform at a high level. Cifers is not UFC calibre, and she does not possess the wrestling skills of Ruiz.
Ruiz made her look like a novice, but Buys can grapple and will go toe-to-toe with her in the exchanges and may even land her takedown herself. However, we expect Buys to get the job done on the feet where she has a significant speed advantage and the technique to seal a comfortable decision at least.
Prediction: Buys via Decision - CLICK HERE FOR PARIMATCH'S WELCOME OFFER (BET £5, GET £30 IN BONUSES!)
