Joseph Benavidez and Zach Makovsky will collide this Saturday (Feb. 6, 2016) at UFC Fight Night 82 inside MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. In a match up of veteran contenders, what adjustments must be made for either man to claim victory? Find out below!
Top-ranked Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Flyweight contenders Joseph Benavidez (No. 1) and Zach Makovsky (No. 8) will throw down this Saturday (Feb. 6, 2016) at UFC Fight Night 82 inside MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Outside of tight split decision and knockout loss to the current pound-for-pound kingpin, Demetrious Johnson, Benavidez has been untouchable at Flyweight. Having already beaten most of the division’s Top 10 and coming in on a lengthy win streak, Benavidez was looking to earn another shot at the strap.
Makovsky, meanwhile, has proven himself worthy of a position inside the Top 10, but is without a signature win. This fight was a massive opportunity for “Fun Size,” as victory would insert him into the immediate title picture.
Let’s take a look at the keys to victory for both men:
Joseph Benavidez
Record: 23-4
Key Wins: Ali Bagautinov (UFC 192), Jussier Formiga (UFC Fight Night 28), John Moraga (UFC 187), Dustin Ortiz (UFC Fight Night 57)
Key Losses: Demetrious Johnson (UFC on FOX 9, UFC 152), Dominick Cruz (WEC 50, WEC 42)
Keys to Victory: One of the most well-rounded athletes in the sport, “Beefcake” is one of the few Flyweights with true knockout power and the aggressive kickboxing attack to make use of it. He’s also a powerful wrestler with nasty submission skill, and together these skills have helped him finish 15 of his opponents.
Much like his recent bouts with Bagautinov, Moraga and Ortiz, this is another bout where Benavidez holds at least a slight edge in each area technically. In addition, Benavidez has far more high level experience, as he’s been a top-ranked fighter for many years now.
Since Benavidez — at least on paper — has the overall edge, he needs to make it a priority to finish Makovsky. At the very least, Benavidez needs to put on a definitive beating on the former Bellator champion.
This is the perfect fight for Benavidez to display his dominance. Makovsky may be a highly talented fighter, but he’s not much of a knockout threat like Bagautinov. Therefore, Benavidez doesn’t have to be so cautious on the feet and can let loose with his combinations.
And if for whatever reason that isn’t going well, “Beefcake” can flip the script and take things south in an attempt to hand Makovsky his fourth career submission loss.
VS.
Zach Makovsky
Record: 19-6
Key Wins: Tim Elliott (UFC Fight Night 60), Josh Sampo (UFC 170)
Key Losses: Jussier Formiga (UFC 176), John Dodson (UFC 187)
Keys to Victory: Makovsky may be relatively unknown, but he’s a very solid fighter as well. A collegiate wrestler with one of the best single-leg chains in the business, Makovsky has also developed a strong counter striking game to complement his grappling talents.
Though he doesn’t hold any significant advantage over his opponent, Makovsky does have a viable path to victory. If his reactive shots and counter punching attack is on point, there is a chance Makovsky can out-point the former title challenger.
Benavidez has been known to lunge in with punches, which does present an opening for Makovsky’s counter strikes. Plus, while holding Benavidez down for any extended period of time is largely impossible, a few key takedowns could make an impression on the judges even if they’re just for a moment.
The key to this game plan is volume. If Makovsky lands a few decent counter punches and scores a couple momentary takedowns but allows Benavidez to push the pace and throw more, he’ll find himself on the wrong end of a decision loss. Instead, Makovsky needs to at least match his opponent’s strikes while on the outside, that way those nice moments will shine through rather than be forgotten.
Bottom Line: This is a very important bout for the careers of both men, as well as the 125-pound division.
Benavidez has been working toward a third match with “Mighty Mouse” for more than two years, making progress in the form of a four-fight win streak. Following Johnson’s bout with — read: win over — Henry Cejudo, there will not be any other viable contenders for Johnson to fight.
In short, this should be the last victory Benavidez needs to secure his title shot.
With so much resting on the victory, the consequences for defeat are obviously significant as well. While Benavidez would still be one of the top-ranked Flyweights in the world, it would take him out of the title picture at the worst possible time.
On the other hand, Makovsky has yet to prove himself a threat to the top five. In his two opportunities to step up, he’s come up short both times. This could be the final opportunity Makovsky receives, as a loss could strand him in the position of gatekeeper.
This could also be the most important victory of Makovsky’s career. If he defeats Benavidez, Makovsky joins an extremely exclusive club alongside Cruz and Johnson. It also places him at most one more victory from a title shot, allowing him to leapfrog a fair amount of fighters.
At UFC Fight Night 82, Joseph Benavidez and Zach Makovsky will go to war. Which fighter will have his hand raised?