Preview: UFC Fight Night 227 ‘Grasso vs. Shevchenko 2’

Featherweights

Fernando Padilla (15-4, 1-0 UFC) vs. Kyle Nelson (14-5-1, 2-4-1 UFC)

ODDS: Padilla (-258), Nelson (+210)

Padilla certainly made up for lost time in his UFC debut. Signed in 2021, the Mexican prospect’s debut was delayed until April, when he made surprisingly short work of Julian Erosa to establish himself as a talent to watch. It was the quickest win in years for “El Valiente” and perhaps a sign that he is hitting his stride at the right time. Padilla obviously has some natural talent and an impressively large frame for the featherweight division, but some cardio issues combined with a generally aimless approach led to some regional victories becoming much tougher than they should have been on paper. Padilla looks for another impressive step forward here against Canada’s Nelson, who is also coming off a showing that brings some cause for optimism. Nelson’s UFC career has been marked by a fair share of frustrating performances. “The Monster” has lived up to his nickname as a physical force early on in his fights, but the tension that Nelson brings to the cage has often led him to take himself out of fights and get dominated by the later rounds. A June win over Blake Bilder saw Nelson finally put together 15 minutes of consistent work, buoyed by his ability to use his wrestling as a safety valve, which in turn gives him a decent chance at an upset. However, the read here is that Padilla’s grappling acumen and sheer size are enough to make him difficult to control and that he can keep the pace up enough to at least win rounds down the stretch even as both men tire. The pick is Padilla via decision.

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Grasso vs. Shevchenko
Della Maddalena vs. Holland
Rosas Jr. vs. Mitchell
Zellhuber vs. Giagos
Padilla vs. Nelson
The Prelims