UFC Fight Night: Dom Mar Fan vs Kody Steele Preview & Prediction
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Australian prospect Dom “Street Buddha” Mar Fan makes his official UFC debut on home soil after winning the Road to UFC Tournament, against American grappler Kody Steele to open up the UFC Perth card.
Dom Mar Fan vs Kody Steele facts
What time are Dom Mar Fan and Kody Steele expected to walk out?
Where is UFC Fight Night: Della Maddalena vs Prates? RAC Arena, Perth, Australia
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night: Della Maddalena vs Prates? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC Fight Night 275
What TV channel is UFC Fight Night: Della Maddalena vs Prates on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – Paramount
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night: Della Maddalena vs Prates? UK – TNT Sports can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and HBO Max / USA – Paramount+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC Fight Night: Della Maddalena vs Prates main card
Jack Della Maddalena vs Carlos Prates (Welterweight)
Beneil Dariush vs Quillan Salkilld (Lightweight)
Tim Elliott vs Steve Erceg (Flyweight)
Marwan Rahiki vs Ollie Schmid (Featherweight)
Shamil Gaziev vs Brando Pericic (Heavyweight)
Tai Tuivasa vs Louie Sutherland (Heavyweight)
UFC Fight Night: Della Maddalena vs Prates prelims
Cameron Rowston vs Robert Bryczek (Middleweight)
Junior Tafa vs Kevin Christian (Light Heavyweight)
Jacob Malkoun vs Gerald Meerschaert (Middleweight)
Colby Thicknesse vs Vince Morales (Bantamweight)
Ben Johnston vs Wesley Schultz (Middleweight)
Jonathan Micallef vs Themba Gorimbo (Welterweight)
Dom Mar Fan vs Kody Steele (Lightweight)
Dom Mar Fan: Road to UFC winner looks to extend his hot streak in official debut
The reigning Road to UFC Season 4 lightweight tournament champion, Dom Mar Fan (9-2) earned his contract with a unanimous decision win over SangWook Kim at UFC 325. The 26-year-old from Brisbane is on a seven-fight win streak, with his only career losses both coming against fellow Australian prospect Quillan Salkilld, losses that have aged tremendously well as Salkilld fights further up the card in the co-main event. Mar Fan is happy to fight on the backfoot onto the fence where his clinch work shines, active knees and dangerous short elbows. At range, he works behind a stiff jab, throws up a quick head kick, and has also shown excellent cardio and a durable chin. Although it’s part of his style, his weakness comes with his habit to fight square and upright on the fence, leaving him susceptible to being taken down or giving opportunities for a dangerous striker to unload fully.
Kody Steele: Combat Jiu-Jitsu champion looking for his first UFC win
Kody Steele (7-1) made his UFC debut last February, dropping a competitive decision to Rong Zhu in a scrap that earned Fight of the Night honours. Though Steele is a Combat Jiu-Jitsu champion, he has consistently said he doesn’t want to be defined as just a grappler, and his fight game shows it. Steele earned his UFC contract with a second-round body shot TKO over Chasen Blair, the kind of finish that hints at his developing striking game. He fights heavy on the front foot with a shoot boxing style, and loves to throw a winging overhand. Steele can be a bit irresponsible defensively, especially in extended exchanges, prefers to roll with shots rather than evade, and has shown a tendency to become more timid once he’s been hurt.
Dom Mar Fan vs Kody Steele prediction
Stylistically, this fight has the makings of an ugly, attritional war, and that’s the kind of fight Mar Fan thrives in. Steele is the bigger finishing threat with sharper boxing technique and more power in his hands, but his approach plays into Mar Fan’s strengths. Fighting so heavy on the front foot will leave his calves open for kicks all night, his lack of head movement also allows Street Buddha’s stiff jab to consistently find a home, much like Rong Zhu’s did when it dropped Steele in their fight.
The smart path to victory for Steele is to ditch the brawl and lean on his wrestling game, particularly when Mar Fan’s hips are square to the cage, where he’s not the most mobile and won’t be able to sprawl. But Steele loves to brawl, and has openly said he wants to put people to sleep, and his tendencies suggest he’ll get drawn into a firefight that I see him losing on the scorecards. Mar Fan’s cardio, durability, and clinch striking should win him the final two rounds, even if Steele has success early.
The odds reflect Steele’s finishing potential, but this fight is closer than the market suggests, especially since Steele doesn’t play into his strengths. Once Mar Fan finds Steele’s timing and starts to pump out the jab constantly, expect to see Steele slow down. I have Street Buddha to outwork Steele for the decision.
Prediction: Dom Mar Fan to win by decision
