The MMA Daily

Preview

The preliminary card headliner comes in the Featherweight division, as Tucker ‘Top Gun’ Lutz takes on Pat Sabatini. After having to fight twice on Dana White Contender’s Series before earning a contract, Lutz finally made his UFC debut against Kevin Aguilar. A fight where he looked excellent and pushed his win-streak to twelve. Meanwhile, Sabatini comes into this fight with some momentum as well. Having most recently defeated Jamall Emeers, Sabatini extended his win streak to four. With two of those wins coming in the UFC, Sabatini is inching closer to bigger fights. 

Prediction

This is an excellent fight and one that will catapult the winner to potentially fighting a top fifteen foe. Tucker Lutz is a well rounded fighter. In his UFC debut against Kevin Aguilar, Lutz did a great job of mixing up his attacks, landing 99 significant strikes and three takedowns. While round three had some dicey moments, Lutz looked excellent for the majority of the fight. This second go around will be tougher though, as Pat Sabatini is a tough man to face. With excellent grappling and submission abilities, Sabatini can be a nightmare for those who elect to grapple with him. Just ask Jamall Emeers, who was dominating Sabatini and eventually overstayed his welcome on the ground with the submission expert, succumbing to a heel hook. 

As for a prediction, I have Lutz winning. While Sabatini is dangerous on the ground, it’s apparent that he can be neutralized by keeping the fight upright. Given Lutz’s well rounded abilities, I believe that his wrestling can dictate where the fight goes. With solid crisp striking and being a high output striker, Lutz has a vast advantage in the standup department. In the end, anything can happen, but I believe Lutz has the abilities to lean this fight in his favor. So with that said, I predict Lutz wins via decision.