UFC 271 is stacked with dazzling match-ups, with fighters like Israel Adesanya, Robert Whittaker, Derrick Lewis on the card it has certainly caught fight fans’ eyes. The PPV is scheduled at Toyota Center, Houston, Texas (US) this Saturday. Apart from the main event, another interesting matchup is between Kyler Phillips and Marcelo Rojo in the bantamweight division.
Kyler Phillips debuted in the promotion in the year 2020. Since then, he has won 3 of his four bouts in UFC. Philips won his first three fights against fighters like Gabriel Silva, Cameron Else, and Song Yadong. Especially the win against Yadong had a greater impact on both of their careers as Yadong was a rising prospect. However, Philips is coming off a loss against Raulain Paiva in July 2021. He would certainly want to get back on his winning momentum.
Marcelo Rojo on the other hand is yet to get his first win inside the octagon. Marcelo debuted as a replacement fighter against Charles Jourdain at UFC Fight Night 187 in March last year. However, he got knocked out in the third round. Hence, a win against Philips will help him move forward in the promotion.
UFC 271: Kyler Phillips vs Marcelo Rojo Stats:
Stats | Kyler Phillips | Marcelo Rojo |
---|---|---|
Wins | 9 | 16 |
Losses | 2 | 8 |
Height | 5 ft 8 in | 5 ft 8 in |
Division | Bantamweight | Bantamweight |
Reach | 72 in | 71 in |
Striking Accuracy | 49% | 36% |
UFC 271: Kyler Phillips vs Marcelo Rojo Prediction, and Fight Breakdown:
Kyler’s last loss against Paiva might be a blessing in disguise since it must have helped him learn what he did wrong against Paiva. Kyler outstruck him with 74 strikes; he even took down Paiva 4 times in 3 rounds. But, he got sloppy and gave Paiva the opportunity to control the fight which led to his loss.
However, learning from his experience, Philipps would come in as a better balanced and calculated fighter now. With flashy spinning kicks and high kicks combined with his Jiu-Jitsu background, he is a well-rounded fighter. Moreover, Rojo has fallen prey to better grapplers previously.
He has lost 4 of his8 defeats via submission. However, Marcelo also has raw striking power and better cardio than Philips. But, Philips with his experience and better skill set should be able to secure a decision win against Rojo.
UFC 271: Kyler Phillips vs Marcelo Rojo Fight Prediction – Kyler Phillips via Decision