UFC 276: Andre Muniz vs Uriah Hall Is A Striker vs Grappler Clash At Its Finest
In a stacked card this Saturday, there’s a fight on the prelims flying under the radar. Striking wizard Uriah Hall looks to return to his winning ways when he meets the rising Brazillian grappling sensation Andre Muniz in a fight that will decide both men’s career trajectories.
In the last decade, we saw Uriah Hall’s career unfold right before our eyes from the ultimate fighter days. However, there have always been rumblings about Hall’s undisciplined lifestyle outside the octagon. Moreover, Hall has been open for years about his struggles with mental health issues ahead of his fights, resulting in him not showing up in many of his career-defining fights.
All issues aside, there’s one thing that we do know: Uriah Hall has shown that he’s one of the most talented middleweights in the sport’s illustrious history. However, Hall is not getting any favours with the matchmaking on this one.
Andre Muniz burst onto the scene last May when he became the first man to submit Jacare Souza, who’s recognized as one of the most sophisticated Jiu Jitsu practitioners in history.
Momentum is one of the most potent things in life. Andre Muniz is riding an impressive 8-fight win streak. On the other hand, Hall got dominated in his last outing against Sean Strickland. So, it makes sense why Muniz is almost a four-to-one favourite. However, there’s one last fascinating fact that might add some drama to the show.
The key to victory for Andre Muniz is clear: get the fight to the mat after mixing it up on the feet in the first few minutes since Uriah Hall is a slow starter, with his last first-round knockout taking place almost ten years ago back in 2013.
There’s a reason why Muniz is on a four-fight armbar submission streak. Muniz averages one takedown per round, while on the other hand, Hall was taken down six times in his last fight against a striker. And all Muniz needs is one takedown to close the show. Yet, there’s a counter point of view…
Uriah Hall has been a professional for almost 18 years and he has never been submitted. Moreover, Hall’s best skill is unquestionably his striking and vicious knockout power. And guess what? In Muniz’s four losses, he got stopped via strikes, and Hall has ended 78% of his fights via strikes.
In the end, we do think we know what’s going to happen based on the odds, but in all actuality, do we really know? You do not want to miss this clash live on ESPN and ESPN+.