UFC Fight Night: Austin Bashi vs Jose Miguel Delgado Preview & Prediction
A classic striker VS grappler prospect matchup lights up the featherweight prelims, as dynamic finisher Jose Delgado takes on explosive wrestler Austin Bashi.
Austin Bashi vs Jose Miguel Delgado facts
What time are Austin Bashi and Jose Miguel Delgado expected to walk out?
Where is UFC Fight Night: Du Plessis vs Usman? Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, USA
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night: Du Plessis vs Usman? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC Fight Night 281
What TV channel is UFC Fight Night: Du Plessis vs Usman on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – Paramount
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night: Du Plessis vs Usman? UK – TNT Sports can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and HBO Max / USA – Paramount+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC Fight Night: Du Plessis vs Usman main card
Dricus du Plessis vs Kamaru Usman (Middleweight)
Jared Cannonier vs Christian Leroy Duncan (Middleweight)
Chase Hooper vs Mitch Ramirez (Lightweight)
Tommy McMillen vs Alberto Montes (Featherweight)
UFC Fight Night: Du Plessis vs Usman prelims
Tabatha Ricci vs Fatima Kline (Women's Strawweight)
Austin Bashi vs Jose Miguel Delgado (Featherweight)
Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani vs Ko Seok-hyeon (Welterweight)
Levi Rodrigues Jr. vs Felipe Franco (Light Heavyweight)
Alden Coria vs Stewart Nicoll (Flyweight)
RJ Harris vs Alvin Hines (Heavyweight)
Anna Melisano vs Dione Barbosa (Women's Flyweight)
Marc-Andre Barriault vs TBC (Middleweight)
Austin Bashi: Explosive grappling prospect looking to drag it to the mat
Austin Bashi (14-1) is a highly touted wrestler with a suffocating top game and relentless takedown volume. A brown belt no-gi world champion, he stacked up finishes on the regional scene before earning his UFC contract, and rebounded from a debut loss to Christian Rodriguez by strangling John Yannis with a rear naked inside a round. Explosive and dangerous in all phases, Bashi times his level changes beautifully and does damage with his ground and pound and transitions well once he’s on top. His lone defeat is telling though, when C-Rod simply outclassed him on the feet, it exposed what happens when he can’t impose the grappling.
Jose Miguel Delgado: Dynamic striker with the size and venom to punish a wrestler
Jose Delgado (11-2) has been one of the more exciting prospects to watch, blitzing through Connor Matthews and Hyder Amil inside a round before a razor thin decision loss to Nathaniel Wood which many thought he won, and then a split decision win over the veteran Andre Fili. The MMA Lab product is a dynamic striker, excellent lateral movement, sharp body and head kicks, spinning backfists, and knees thrown with real venom. He carries a considerable height and reach advantage into this fight and does his best work from southpaw. His one noticeable flaw is dropping his hands when he kicks, and he’s been grounded by the likes of Fili and Wood, though he’s consistently managed to make his way back to his feet.
Austin Bashi vs Jose Miguel Delgado prediction
This is a striker VS wrestler match up in its purest form, and the whole thing hinges on whether Bashi can control Delgado once he drags him down, or whether Delgado keeps popping back up to reset at range. Bashi is explosive and his takedown timings are excellent, so he’ll most likely find his takedowns here. Delgado has been grounded before by lesser wrestlers, and Bashi is a clear level above. But Delgado has also shown a good ability to make his way back up, and if he can consistently separate, the striking should be all his.
Delgado owns a significant height and reach advantage. C-Rod already picked him apart on the feet, landed knees and uppercuts up the middle as Bashi grew overwhelmed and started desperately hunting takedowns. Those shots should be the focus of Delgado’s arsenal, from southpaw Delgado can dig kicks up the middle to the body and time that knee precisely when Bashi level changes.
For this fight, Delgado should stop the spinning strikes, as those openings are exactly when a wrestler will time a takedown or clinch. If Bashi is forced into a striking match he doesn’t want, Delgado gets it done, if Bashi manages to control the fight on the ground, he’ll most likely take over.
Prediction: Jose Delgado to win
