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UFC Vegas 34 Prelims: William Knight vs Fabio Cherant- Prediction and Analysis
UFC Vegas 34: Cannonier vs Gastelum will take place this Saturday with some exciting clashes in its main as well as prelims card. One clash that could excite fans is the light heavyweight dual set to take place between William Knight and Fabio Cherant.
The ‘Knightmare’ Knight would look to bounce back after suffering a unanimous decision defeat at the hands of Da-Un Jung at UFC Fight Night: Vettori vs Holland. His current record stands at 9 wins and two losses. Out of those 9, 8 have come via KO/TKO and 1 via decision.
‘The Water Buffalo’ Cherant is yet to open his win account for the promotion. He last featured in a losing cause against Alonzo Menifield at UFC 260: Miocic vs Ngannou 2. He has picked up 7 wins and incurred 2 losses. Out of those wins, 5 have come via submissions and 2 via decisions.
William Knight vs Fabio Cherant- Analysis
If we compare their physical stats, ‘Knightmare’ stands tall with 5’10” and has a reach of 73″. Meanwhile, ‘The Water Buffalo’ is slightly taller with a height of 6’1″.
If we take a glance at their career statistics, Knight lands 3.56 significant strikes per minute with an accuracy of 74%. He absorbs 2.56 significant strikes with a 34% defense rate. On average, he has 2.56 takedowns per 15 mins with an accuracy of 53%. He also has a takedown defense of 40%.
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Meanwhile, Cherant has landed 1.0 significant strikes per minute with an accuracy of 30%. He absorbs 6.73 significant strikes with a 31% defense rate.
Knight still has to develop his game even though he is at an advanced age of 33. He focuses more on his overhand rights and low kicks but doesn’t have any stand-up game. His subpar wrestling would be a concern too, despite having ferocious striking capabilities.
He still could be with a chance to tag Cherant as the latter tends to take the match to the fence. This could prove deadly against a fighter like ‘Knighmare’. But Cherant has fast hands and his crisp combination could cause problems for Knight if he can’t land takedowns. He could also go for submissions considering Knight’s subpar wrestling game.
Though Knight has a bit more experience competing in UFC and may grind the match to a decision, his inability to defend Jung’s attacks last time around could well be exposed this time too against Cherant.
Final Prediction: Cherant via unanimous decision
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