UFC Fight Night: Mason Jones vs Axel Sola Preview & Prediction
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Welshman Mason Jones takes on undefeated French prospect Axel Sola, as two former regional champions clash at the O2 Arena.
Mason Jones vs Axel Sola facts
What time are Mason Jones and Axel Sola expected to walk out?
Where is UFC Fight Night: Evloev vs Murphy? O2 Arena, London, England
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night: Evloev vs Murphy? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC Fight Night 270
What TV channel is UFC Fight Night: Evloev vs Murphy on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – Paramount
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night: Evloev vs Murphy? UK – TNT Sports can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and discovery+ / USA – Paramount+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC Fight Night: Evloev vs Murphy main card
Movsar Evloev vs Lerone Murphy (Featherweight)
Luke Riley vs Michael Aswell (Featherweight)
Michael Page vs Sam Patterson (Welterweight)
Iwo Baraniewski vs Austen Lane (Light Heavyweight)
Roman Dolidze vs Christian Leroy Duncan (Middleweight)
Kurtis Campbell vs Danny Silva (Featherweight)
UFC Fight Night: Evloev vs Murphy prelims
Mason Jones vs Axel Sola (Lightweight)
Nathaniel Wood vs Losene Keita (Featherweight)
Mario Pinto vs Felipe Franco (Heavyweight)
Mantas Kondratavicius vs Antonio Trocoli (Middleweight)
Louie Sutherland vs Brando Pericic (Heavyweight)
Shaqueme Rock vs Abdul Kareem Al Selwady (Lightweight)
Shanelle Dyer vs Ravena Oliveira (Women’s Strawweight)
Melissa Mullins vs Luana Carolina (Women’s Bantamweight)
Mason Jones: Well-rounded Welsh dragon riding a six-fight win streak
Mason Jones (17-2, 1 NC) is riding an impressive six-fight win streak heading into UFC London, including a Performance of the Night TKO over Bolaji Oki at UFC Paris and a unanimous decision over veteran Jeremy Stephens. The former Cage Warriors double champ is a well-rounded fighter who mixes his striking well with grappling. Jones has also shown excellent survivability too, getting dropped by heavy-handed Oki early before composing himself and coming back to finish the fight. His chin has held up well throughout his career and he's yet to be put away. The concern is that he's not the most dynamic mover on the feet, fighting quite heavy and slow at times.
Axel Sola: Undefeated Southpaw making his lightweight debut in the UFC
Frenchman Axel Sola (11-0-1) earned his UFC contract after dominating ARES FC as their lightweight champion with four title defences. Sola made an instant impact in his promotional debut, finishing Rhys McKee via third-round TKO at UFC Paris, though that fight took place in the welterweight division. This will be his first UFC bout at 155 pounds, and he is a huge lightweight. Sola fights out of a bladed southpaw karate stance, throwing fast kicks and a sharp step-in 1-2 from the backfoot. He doesn't carry one-punch knockout power, but instead wears his opponents down with accumulative damage before finding the finish. His takedown defence numbers look good on paper, but he hasn't been tested by a grappler of Jones' level in the UFC.
Mason Jones vs Axel Sola prediction
Jones holds meaningful advantages in experience and versatility here. He has more ways to win - on the feet, in the clinch, and on the ground. Sola's bladed stance creates a clear opportunity for Jones to pressure him towards the fence and get the takedown.
On the feet, Sola's karate stance and fast kicks present a slight danger, but Jones has shown he can absorb early adversity and keep marching forward. One area Jones will have to be wary of is Sola's head kick, he throws it up fast from his bladed stance and caught McKee with it, and McKee is a good few inches taller than Jones. Sola fights predominantly on the backfoot, which suits Jones' pressure-heavy style. While Sola does carry power and has a decent chin, his takedown defence hasn't been truly tested at the UFC level - McKee wasn't shooting on him, and his regional opponents didn't carry the grappling pedigree of Jones.
The key question is whether Sola can keep this fight standing, can he use his range to outpoint Jones and potentially knock him out? Jones' ability to mix takedowns throughout the fight should tip the scorecards in his favour, and if he gets Sola down, his ground-and-pound and submission threats are a level above anything Sola has dealt with. Jones has more tools as well as the home crowd behind him.
Prediction: Mason Jones to win
