Old School vs New School

UFC 202 is upon us and the buzz is absolutely through the roof. The rematch between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz is looking to be one of the biggest events in the promotions history. Through that, any fighter who has the opportunity to grace the undercard of this event could easily have the potential to become a star. The match up between bantamweights Cody Garbrandt and Takeya Mizugaki could produce the next challenger to the UFC title. Cody Garbrandt is one of the most talented prospects in the UFC bantamweight division. His last performance against Thomas Almeida proved that Garbrandt is ready to challenge the upper echelon of the division. As such he has drawn the veteran Mizugaki who has bounced back from two straight losses with a victory over George Roop. Garbrandt is the younger, fresher fighter with immense boxing skills and a flare for the dramatic. Of the two combatants he has the sharper hands with incredible hand speed. He closes the distance fast and can rattle off combinations with destructive force. There’s no doubting that Takeya Mizugaki is the underdog in this match. He has battled a whose who in the bantamweight division and has had some success as well as setbacks. The key to victory for Mizugaki is to force Garbrandt to come forward, something that shouldn’t be too difficult, but to do so on his terms. Some healthy jabs and crisp countering, Mizugaki could potentially land some shots and proceed to a body lock where he can take Garbrandt to the ground. Mizugaki isn’t as fast as he once was and his chin isn’t getting better with age. He’ll have to be conservative in this match he hopes to beat the undefeated Garbrandt. This could either be a dominant showing for Garbrandt or an eye opening victory for Mizugaki. Right now Cody Garbrandt has more upside and despite Mizugaki’s savvy, expect to see the undefeated prospect earn a victory by TKO in the second frame. Which bantamweight will come out on top at UFC 202? Let us know by hitting up our comments below or head on over to our official Facebook and Twitter.

Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.