The MMA Daily

The chances of this fight going the distance are slim. Of Ben Rothwell’s thirty-nine victories, thirty-five have come via stoppage. With legitimate power and sneaky submissions, Rothwell isn’t one to let the judges decide his fate. The same could be said about Marcos Rogerio de Lima. Of the Brazilian’s eighteen wins, fifteen have come via stoppage. With power in his hands and maybe five minutes of cardio, de Lima looks to end fights early more often than not. In fact, thirteen of the fifteen stoppage victories have come in round one. Not to one up de Lima, but Rothwell has won twenty-eight of his thirty-five stoppages in the opening round. If I were to make a bet, given all the data, there is a good chance this one ends early.

As for a prediction, I have Ben Rothwell winning. While this fight can end in a heartbeat, there are too many factors that favor Rothwell. Not only does he have better cardio, but he boasts better durability, takedown defense and submissions. Another reason I believe Rothwell gets it done is because of his pressure. Often pushing forward, Rothwell is somewhat like the terminator. Despite resistance, Rothwell will break opponents with constant activity and pace. Given de Lima has about five minutes of cardio, I don’t see the Brazilian lasting that long under Rothwell’s pressure. So with that said, I predict that Rothwell wins via TKO.