The MMA Daily

We have a showdown in the Flyweight division, as Cody Durden takes on JP “Young Savage” Buys. Coming off a 58-second defeat, Durden returns to the octagon looking for better results. In four UFC appearances, Durden has gone 1-2-1. Needing to find consistency, Durden’s UFC tenure may hang in the balance in this fight. Meanwhile, Buys has yet to taste victory in two UFC fights. Urgently needing a victory to avoid a pink slip, this will be Buys most important fight of his career.

In what I expect to be a fight between two fighters looking to do everything possible to win, I’m going to have to side with Buys. A grappler, who has faced two tough opponents thus far, Buys striking defense and takedown defense has been porous to say the least. Being knocked down seven times in the two fights, and controlled for ten minutes by Montel Jackson most recently, an outsiders perspective may see him as a hard pass. Especially considering Durden is a wrestler. However, his cardio and submission defense are problematic. Two areas in which I believe will be his downfall, as Buys is a submission threat who has good cardio. With that said, I expect Durden to come out hot early and land some takedowns. By round two, Buys scrambling abilities and cardio will see him gain advantageous positions – eventually leading him to a submission victory.