Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweights Brad Tavares and Robert Whittaker will search for the knockout this Saturday (May 9, 2015) at UFC Fight Night 65 inside Adelaide Entertainment Center in Adelaide, Australia.
After consecutive losses to Yoel Romero and Tim Boestch, Tavares returned to the win column in his last bout by taking a decision over Nate Marquardt. Facing another former welterweight here, Tavares will hunt for a finish, something that has largely eluded him in his UFC career.
Whittaker made the choice to move up to middleweight in his last bout, and it couldn't have gone better for the 24 year old prospect. The Australian was both fast and powerful, as he disposed of Clint Hester -- a talented prospect in his own right -- in less than two rounds.
Let's take a look at the keys to victory for each fighter:
Brad Tavares
Record: 13-3
Key Wins: Lorenz Larkin (UFC Fight Night 35), Nate Marquardt (UFC 182), Tom Watson (UFC on Fuel TV 5)
Key Losses: Yoel Romero (UFC on FOX 11), Tim Boestch (UFC Fight Night 47)
Keys to Victory: Despite his lack of finishing ability, Tavares is a rather effective kickboxer. The Hawaiian keeps a good pace and really digs in on low kicks, plus his defensive wrestling is very strong.
Against an opponent unlikely to look for takedowns, Tavares should be able to open up with his kickboxing a bit. That doesn't mean he can get sloppy -- Whittaker is a slick counter puncher -- but he should be able to throw a higher volume of kicks and perhaps step into his punches a bit more than usual.
In this fight, Tavares should look to work from the outside, where his leg kicks will be especially effective against his opponent's blend of karate and boxing. If Tavares is able to wear Whittaker down, then it will be much easier for him to move forward with combinations later on.
When Whittaker moves forward with punches or counter strikes, Tavares should look to snuff his offense by moving into the clinch. He's pretty effective in that position, both at controlling his opponent and delivering solid knee strikes.
Considering his opponent's history at welterweight, it may be a bit easier to pin him to the fence than most middleweights.
VS.
Robert Whittaker
Record: 13-4
Key Wins: Clint Hester (UFC Fight Night 55), Mike Rhodes (UFC Fight Night 53), Colton Smith (UFC 160)
Key Losses: Stephen Thompson (UFC 170), Court McGee (UFC Fight Night 27)
Keys to Victory: Whittaker is an excellent striker with some nasty counters up his sleeve. Like his opponent, he's also proven to be a tough man to take down, as he's resisted plenty of takedown attempts from men desperate to avoid his heavy punches.
Overall, Whittaker is likely the smoother and more powerful striker. However, that doesn't mean he's going to win the striking battle, as Tavares has made it a habit to suck experienced fighters into his pace and range.
To avoid that, Whittaker needs to throw Tavares off his game. When allowed to settle into his rhythm and work, Tavares is a very difficult opponent to deal with. When he's forced out of his comfort zone, he's much less impressive.
In this case, Whittaker needs to keep Tavares on his back foot. Not only will that help take away Tavares' best weapon in his low kick, but Whittaker has the better pure boxing skills and is more likely to hurt his opponent with punches.
When pressured, Tavares is likely to change levels and shoot or look to clinch. Of those two options, the clinch is the real threat, so Whittaker needs to jam Tavares up with a sharp jab and circle off before the Hawaiian get a good grip on his opponent.
Bottom Line: This is an excellent match up of talented strikers, and the winner is deserving of a position in the Top 15.
Tavares is currently ranked No. 15, having lost his last two match ups with ranked opposition. This is a very important fight for Tavares, as a loss would likely send him outside the Top 15. Plus, it would be his third loss in four fights, which is a bad look after the five fight win streak that brought him to the top.
That said, a win here would help solidify his position in the rankings. Whittaker is new to the division, but he's a highly talented fighter and quality win. If Tavares earns the victory, he'll likely end up in another match up with a ranked fighter.
This is a major opportunity for Whittaker. Faced off with a fellow kickboxer, the Australian has been given a chance to demonstrate his striking skill and potentially make his way into the rankings. That's a pretty big step just two fights into his middleweight career, as he never made much forward progress in the welterweight division.
A loss would send Whittaker to the back of the line. He's already had some tough losses early in his UFC career, so in that case, it might be best to keep him in the middle of the division for a year or two to further develop his skills.
At UFC Fight Night 65, Brad Tavares and Robert Whittaker will trade blows. Which fighter will have his hand raised?