We have an exciting Welterweight bout coming up, featuring Preston Parsons and Evan Elder in the prelims at UFC Vegas 52 on 23rd April, this Saturday.
Preston Parsons (9-3) will be hoping to secure a win this weekend against Elder. He has suffered his first loss in his UFC debut last year. Before coming into the leading MMA promotion, he had accumulated a 4-fight win streak, which was broken by Daniel Rodriguez. Parsons lost the debut bout by stoppage.
Evan Elder has fought for three promotions before coming in this promotion: FAC, LFA, and Shamrock FC. He was set to fight his biggest test to date in Pfister. Instead, he’ll get it on a grander stage against Parsons.
He was scheduled to face UFC veteran Cody Pfister at FAC 13 next month. Instead, he was offered a replacement fight against Parsons. Elder has agreed to step in at very short notice, to replace Louis Cosce after he tested positive for Covid-19.
Tale of the Tape
| Preston Parsons | Evan Elder | |
| 26 | Age | 25 |
| 5’11 | Height | 5’9 |
| 170 lbs | Weight | 170 lbs |
| 72 inches | Reach | 71 inches |
| 9-3 | Record | 7-0 |
Fight Breakdown
Preston Parsons fought only once in this promotion. And he lost that bout, unfortunately. However, he fought some strong competitions when he was on the regional circuit. Elder has some solid wrestling and grappling as his only dependable skill.
Parsons has a very basic striking and got lots of potential holes in his standup game. I believe Parsons’ only key to victory in this bout is to solely rely on his grappling. Taking the fight to the mat will be a game-changing moment for him.
But he’s going to enjoy the size advantage against a smaller fighter in Elder. Also, Parsons has had success against opposition larger than himself, so that’s an edge for him over his opponent.
Evan Elder is an undefeated fighter at lightweight, where he used to compete. But quite frankly, Elder is a much unknown fighter. As mentioned, he used to compete in lower-level promotions and he has done quite well till now.
But the question remains if he can manage to keep his win streak going, in such a top-tier MMA world like UFC. Evan made his professional debut in 2018 and he spent the most amount of his career at Shamrock FC. Other than that, he has also competed for LFA and FAC as per the report.
Also as an amateur, Elder had an impressive career before going 7-0 as a pro. However, he suffered his only loss at the hands of Luis Pena as an amateur.
Preston Parsons vs. Evan Elder: Prediction
Preston Parsons has multiple 1st-round finishes on his resume, and all came by subs. I foresee him grappling and wrestling a lot. He will undoubtedly look for an early submission, as he has done in his previous fights, while Elder will be looking for an early knockout.
Preston’s wrestling and grappling are by far the most dangerous qualities in him, and I believe this will play a huge role in this fight.
Despite the short notice, Elder will not have much problem in this fight as he was already in training camp at Sanford MMA getting ready for his FAC 13 bout vs Cody Pfister, which was expected to play out next month.
Both fighters have a decent career. On one hand, Elder has won all his fights, and on the other hand, Parsons simply leaves no chance for his rivals, as he has shown some high-level submission techniques in his fights.
Prediction: Preston Parsons via submission
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