Will Hall’s blow be too much for Sean?

Saturday’s UFC Fight Night features two veterans who have never fought for a UFC championship, but each has quietly put together the ingredients for a run at a title shot.

Middleweights Uriah Hall (17-9) and Sean Strickland (23-3) will square off in the main event inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, each riding four-fight winning streaks. Hall has back-to-back wins against former champions in Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman. Strickland, a former welterweight, has a 3-0 record since moving up to 185 pounds.

Hall, who is appearing in his third UFC main event, has worked his way up to No. 8 in the UFC rankings. Strickland is no slouch at No. 11. It’s an extremely important fight in each of their respective careers. Who has the edge? ESPN asked several experts for their analysis and predictions.

Marc Montoya:

Strickland is a tough matchup for anyone. Hall has had his ups and downs. He’s looked good since moving to Fortis MMA. I think mentally, he and [Fortis MMA coach Sayif Saud] have a great understanding. I think he has a new style. He’s always had talent.

But Strickland won’t back down. You can even hit him and he’ll keep going, and that’s a tough opponent to deal with. Strickland is good on the ground, he’s good on the feet. And he just doesn’t stop.

I think Hall has to knock Strickland out on the feet to win, and that’s not an easy task. I would pick Strickland. There’s no doubt that Hall could catch Strickland with a big punch and has the potential to knock him out, but I see Strickland putting too much pressure on Hall.

Deron Winn:

I know Strickland has good punches, but he’s much better on the ground. He’s shown that he’s trying to evolve his boxing style. Strickland knocked out Brendan Allen two fights ago. He did well against Krzysztof Jotko before winning by unanimous decision on May 1.

But Uriah Hall, is a veteran who has fought the best at middleweight – Robert Whittaker, Derek Brunson, Paulo Costa, Gegard Mousasi. He is now on a four-fight winning streak. His strength is based on striking and he’s had some trouble with grapplers, but it will be interesting to see if Sean continues on that path.

As a fighter, I can tell you that it’s easy to fall in love with striking. Ultimately, besides the risk of getting knocked out, striking is easier than fighting. That’s why you see it all the time, guys fall in love with, “If I can take this guy out with strikes, why do I have to use grappling?”

But if Strickland stands and exchanges with Hall, I can’t imagine the fight going his way. Hall is as dangerous as anyone when it comes to standup fighting.

I’m split on this fight, because it’s one of those matchups that’s hard to judge until we see Sean’s game plan. But I’m guessing Hall wins by decision or late technical knockout.

Gregor Gillespie, UFC lightweight.
Strickland is coming off four straight wins and seems to be making his case as a potential title contender. Hall is always a dangerous matchup for anyone due to his speed, creativity and power.

I expect this to be more or less a kickboxing fight, and if Strickland can get through the early rounds, I think Strickland will outbox Hall and win a five round decision.