Paul Daley vs Dustin Hazelett Fight Prediction – UFC 108

PAUL DALEY vs. DUSTIN HAZELETT

Fight Overview:  A classic striker versus grappler matching pitting Hazelett’s sublime submission game against Paul Daley’s surplus of explosiveness and punching power.  Daley is looking to continue the momentum from his successful UFC debut, while Hazelett will be trying to recover from a layoff of over a year, so both guys have a lot to prove and a lot to fight for.

Daley’s Strengths:  Daley’s standup game is awesome, to put it simply.  He has good kicks, excellent punches, good footwork, and fast, heavy hands with knockout power to spare.

Daley’s Weaknesses:  Daley’s submission defense has given him problems in the past, with five of his eight career losses coming by way of submission.  Hazelett is one of the best submission artists at Welterweight in the UFC, so that could prove extremely problematic.

 Hazelett’s Strengths:  Hazelett has a determined, technical, and extremely effective submission game.  He also has one of the more versatile, if not the most effective, takedown games at 170 pounds, with a nice mix of wrestling, clinch trips, and judo throws.

 Hazelett’s Weaknesses:  Hazelett’s standup is not terrible, but it is nowhere near good enough to allow him to stand with Daley for any period of time.  In addition, he has been out of action for over 13 months, and it has been proven over and over again that ring rust is a dangerous thing that can severely impact performance.

 The Verdict:  Ring rust or not, the edge in this one goes to Hazelett.  Daley may well knock him out within the first 30 seconds, but Hazelett is good at not letting up and eventually forcing a fight to the ground, where he will submit Daley relatively easily.

Prediction: Dustin Hazelett by second round triangle choke.

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