MMA Preview – William Knight vs Maxim Grishin at UFC 271
WILLIAM KNIGHT VS MAXIM GRISHIN FACTS
When is UFC 271? Sunday 13rd February, 2021 - 01:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC 271? Toyota Center, Houston, Texas (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC 271? Click here to buy tickets for UFC 271
What channel is UFC 271 on? BT Sport 1
Where can I stream UFC 271? 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!
WILLIAM KNIGHT VS MAXIM GRISHIN LOWDOWN
William Knight (11-2) steps in for Ed Herman gunning for his fourth UFC win. He made a big statement on his Contender series audition mauling Cody Brundage (2020) and then handed Aleksa Camur (2020) his first loss on his debut to announce himself in the light heavyweight division. He soon got a taste of the upper echelon losing a unanimous decision to Da Un Jung (2021) but he has bounced back with two very impressive wins – smoking Fabio Cherant (2021) and earning a unanimous decision over Alonzo Menifield (2021).
Maxim Grishin (31-9-2) fell on the wrong side of a unanimous decision in his last fight getting outclassed on the feet by Dustin Jacoby. That made it 1-2 in the UFC after losing another unanimous decision to Marcin Tybura (2020) although that is one tough debut stepping up on short notice and up at heavyweight. He then earnt a vintage TKO over Gadzhimurad Antigulov (2020) in a much kinder match-up.
WILLIAM KNIGHT VS MAXIM GRISHIN PREDICTION
We are not sure how far Knight can go in the division, but he does possess two of the most dangerous skills you can have and that is powerful wrestling and one-punch knockout power. He displayed that power against Cherant and the wrestling against Menifield which was very smart.
The smart option here would be to get his wrestling boots on again as Grishin is a very dangerous striker who will be boasting a five-inch reach and height advantage. If the Russian can maintain the distance, he can pick Knight apart from range, but as soon as the distance closes Knight will be a severe threat with his hands and his takedowns.
Grishin got taken down easily by Tybura but we cannot read too much into that, but he did get taken down by Antigulov who has a 36% takedown accuracy. So, we are backing Knight to drag the Russian to the ground and grind out a decision or even finish him with ground-and-pound.
Grishin may get early success with leg kicks, but Knight has the nous to avoid the risk, get the takedown early and wind down the clock from there.
Prediction: Knight via Decision
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