MMA Preview – Matt Brown vs Dhiego Lima at UFC Vegas 29
MATT BROWN VS DHIEGO LIMA FACTS
When is UFC Vegas 29? Sunday 20th June, 2021 - 01:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Vegas 29? UFC APEX, Enterprise, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC Vegas 29? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC events
What channel is UFC Vegas 29 on? BT Sport 1
Where can I stream UFC Vegas 29? 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!
MATT BROWN VS DHIEGO LIMA LOWDOWN
The stalwart Matt Brown (22-18) emerges for the second time in a year for the first time since 2016. That year, he fought three times losing every fight. He got submitted by Demian Maia and got knocked out by Jake Ellenberger and Donald Cerrone. However, he returned nearly a year later to pull off one of the most violent elbows you will ever see, cleaning Diego Sanchez’s clock in brutal fashion. He then followed that up with another brutal knockout to Ben Saunders, two years later in 2019. Any momentum has been stopped dead in its tracks after getting fed to the prodigy Miguel Baeza who knocked him out last May and he is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Carlos Condit in January.
Dhiego Lima (15-8) is also a vet who has had a rough ride in the UFC. He is 4-6 over his two stints the organisation and got a second chance after The Ultimate Fighter Redemption series making it to the final but he got submitted by Jesse Taylor. It seemed the writing was on the wall after he lost again – a unanimous decision against Yushin Okami. However, he resurged by knocking out Chad Laprise and then earning two split decisions over Court McGee and Luke Jumeau. He then got paired with Belal Muhammad and failed again to add a high-calibre opponent to the win column losing another unanimous decision.
MATT BROWN VS DHIEGO LIMA PREDICTION
They are evenly matched in the stats department as you would expect from two well-rounded veterans. The only real discrepancy is their striking accuracy and shots absorbed per minute which could be the difference maker on the night.
Brown is more accurate with 54% to Lima’s 38% and considering Brown’s power, particularly at close range, Lima cannot afford to get caught in the clinch or on his back. The Brazilian also eats nearly for significant strikes per minute so he cannot let Brown get comfortable.
Lima needs to employ a lot of movement and fire off his leg kicks to disable some of Brown’s power. Brown has also shown a weakness to body shots so expect Lima to throw a lot of head strikes to raise the guard before landing a kick to the liver.
We can be safe in the knowledge that Brown will keep pressing forward and will have to be put down to get slowed down. Lima has power but it will be his kicks to the calf and liver that will be his most effective weapons.
This is bound to be a very close fight and although we expect both of them to wear a lot of damage, this will most likely end in a decision.
Prediction: Lima via Decision - CLICK HERE FOR PARIMATCH'S WELCOME OFFER (BET £5, GET £30 IN BONUSES!)
