265 lbs: Cheick Kongo vs. Paul Buentello
Odds: (-575 Kongo / +375 Buentello )
The third matchup of the event is a guaranteed slugfest in the Heavyweight division, with French kickboxer Cheick Kongo squaring off with UFC veteran Paul “The Headhunter” Buentello. Both Kongo and Buentello are strikers with knockout power, so this is a don’t miss fight and a strong candidate for a future UFC Ultimate Knockouts DVD.
Paul Buentello, a long-time UFC competitor, has been fighting professionally for over 10 years. In many ways he is a throwback to the early days of the UFC. He is a very one-dimensional striker, his conditioning is noticeably subpar, and he has never really developed his grappling skills very much. Obviously, though, a one-dimensional fighter does not last as long in the sport as Buentello has unless that one dimension is extremely good. Buentello’s striking, offensively at least, is ridiculously powerful. He doesn’t have the fastest hands or the best technique, but every punch he throws is with bad intentions, and any one of them could knock most fighters out.
Kongo, who is also primarily a striker, is much more technical than Buentello, and makes much better use of kicks. He probably has less power than Buentello, but that is the only area in this fight where he will give up the advantage. He has better technique, better cardio, better wrestling, and better ground and pound. That is a huge advantage, because he can most likely outstrike Buentello, but if he finds himself getting beaten to the punch he has the option of taking the fight to the ground, which Buentello does not have.
What makes this fight so compelling is not only that both men are excellent strikers, but that both have shown some vulnerability in their chin. When two guys who can throw bombs, both of whom are vulnerable to knockouts, go toe to toe, crazy things can happen. In that regard, Buentello has a chance to upset Kongo based solely on how much power he packs. The much safer bet, though, is that the younger, faster, more skilled Kongo will catch Buentello and put him to sleep, most likely in the first round.
Prediction: Cheick Kongo via First Round KO.
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