MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom takes an in-depth look at the UFC’s biggest fights. Today, he is more interested in UFC Fight Night 246 main event between Brandon Moreno And Amir Albazi.

Brandon Moreno UFC Fight Night 246 Preview

Staple Information:

• Record: 21-8-2 MMA, 17-5 UFC
• Height: 5’7″ Age: 30 Weight: 125 lbs. Range: 70″
• Last Stand : Decision lost to Brandon Royval(February 24, 2024)
• Camp: Team Moreno (Las Vegas/Mexico)
• Striking position/style: orthodox/kickboxing
• Risk management: good

Additional information:
+ Former UFC flyweight champion
+ Regional MMA titles
+ Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt
+ Several wrestling distinctions
+ 5 KO victories
+ 11 bids won
+ 8 finishes in the first round
+ Constant rhythm and pressure
+ Precise left hook
^ To come or at the counter
+ Hard kicks and head kicks
^ Works well on the lead side
+ Improved fighting ability
+ Good transition grappler
^ Scrambles and strong submissions

Amir Albazi UFC Fight Night 246 Preview

Amir Albazi

Staple Information:

• Record: 17-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC
• Height: 5’5″ Age: 31 Weight: 125 lbs. Reach: 68″
• Last Stand : Victory by decision against Kai Kara-France (June 3, 2024)
• Camp: Fight Ready MMA (Arizona)
• Striking position/style: orthodox/kickboxing
• Risk management: good

Additional information:
+ Regional MMA titles
+ Brazilian jiu-jitsu purple belt
+ Several wrestling distinctions
^ In and out of the gi
+ 5 KO victories
+ 9 bids won
+ 9 finishes in the first round
+ KO power
+ Strong sense of autonomy
^ Good eyes in exchanges
+ Dangerous right hand
+ Hard kicks
+ Strong wrestling ability
+ Excellent transition grappler
^ Superb back control

Brandon Moreno vs. Amir Albazi Point of Interest: Flyweight Punches

July 8, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, United States; Brandon Moreno (red gloves) fights Alexandre Pantoja (blue gloves) during UFC 290 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

The main event in Edmonton features a showdown between top-ranked flyweights, (autota)Brandon Moreno(/autotag) and Amir Albazi.

Although Albazi was initially lauded for his wrestling accolades, the Iraqi-born fighter has shown a natural aptitude for striking since entering the UFC scene.

Albazi does well when it comes to keeping an active and educated leader, displaying a constant presence of feint or incite.

Offensively, this allows Albazi to connect punches and play off previous work by hooking his punches, etc. Defensively, Albazi’s feigned presence helps draw out his opponent’s reactions, which, in turn, can lead to crucial counter-opportunities.

It’s always dangerous to become too predictable with your head movements and counterattacks. pic.twitter.com/iO7S5UaJWn

– Miguel Class (@MigClass) May 31, 2023

Albazi also seems to have excellent eyes in exchanges, which surely contributes to his solid sense of range. I’ll be curious to see if Albazi looks to control the kicking traffic, but he too will have to watch out for potential counters coming Moreno’s way.

Moreno, who initially entered the UFC scene as a grappling-focused fighter, has since become a more well-rounded and technical striking threat as he matures.

At just 30 years old, Moreno continues to display an almost unwavering composure whether he wins or loses, almost as if he is determined to finish the fight stronger than his enemy. But when you look past the brief, brash moments that allow his character to shine, you can see a more mature counterattack game at play.

Always a fan of the left hook (both in front and off the counter), Moreno does a much better job varying both his timing and his targets, often working them from a jab. The theme of common sense from the lead side carries over commonly for the Mexican fighter in the way Moreno attaches head kicks to his combinations when he’s feeling in stride.

Moreno also has a knack for navigating extended rallies, but I’m not sure how much he’ll want to do that given the potential level-shifting counters awaiting him.

Brandon Moreno vs. Amir Albazi Breakdown: Potential Wrestling Threats

August 20, 2022; Salt Lake City, Utah, United States; Amir Albazi (red gloves) fights Francisco Figueiredo (blue gloves) during UFC 278 at Vivint Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Swinger-USA TODAY Sports

Since grappling is a big part of Albazi’s game, don’t be shocked if he’s the first to step up in the grappling department.

As mentioned in the previous section, Albazi is a fighter who initially excelled in the grappling arts. A tenacious competitor, Albazi’s aggressiveness shines through in transition – something he seems to apply to his wrestling repertoire.

Even though Albazi has the athletic ability to shoot in the open, his most effective setups and takedowns seem to occur against the fence or in the clinch. And as Albazi appears to have spent this past training camp at Fight Ready MMA, I suspect those takedown tools will only be sharper this Saturday.

Luckily for Moreno, the Mexican is no slouch in the grappling department.

Beginning his career as a jiu-jitsu fighter, Moreno smartly moved to the wrestling side (from an offensive standpoint) after getting the chance to train in the United States as part of the former UFC developmental program.

Even though Moreno still wasn’t beyond being knocked out or scoring submissions on his back, he offered plenty of glimpses of improvement during his first run with the promotion.

Moreno was much more aggressive on the feet during this second stint, but does not seem to ignore the other parts of his game. As for the grappling and wrestling matches, Moreno managed to win in stanzas against some of the best grapplers in the division, Jussier Formiga and Askar Askarov (who he clearly beat, in my opinion).

But when it comes to the Moreno fight, he may want to pick his spots wisely with a fighter like Albazi.

Albazi is a keen step-back taker with fantastic commands from the back support. Whether Albazi chooses to lock down his opponents from safer back positions or use crab walks to transition, the Iraqi-born fighter does an excellent job of staying behind his opponent’s knees and elbows as much as possible (a discreet key to look for in good grapplers). .

Brandon Moreno vs. Amir Albazi odds

Oddsmakers and the public favor the former champion, listing Moreno -172 and Albazi +134 via FanDuel.

Brandon Moreno vs. Amir Albazi prediction, picks

Considering Moreno is the more proven commodity (overall and over five rounds), it’s not a big shock to see the Mexican fighter favored in this position. However, it’s difficult to know exactly where either fighter stands at this point in their career.

Aside from an insane run of title fights since the pandemic, Moreno has also experienced several camp changes during that time. While Albazi, who had to overcome some recent health alertsalso postponed his training camp before his competition.

The larger octagon and 25-minute time frame should favor Moreno on paper, but I fear the Mexican fighter’s cage positioning may put him in prime operating space for Albazi.

Although Moreno is not afraid to step on the accelerator and take his own initiatives, he traditionally likes to counter and can be pushed to play between the fence and the black octagonal interior lines.

If Moreno allowed Albazi to take the initiative early, then I suspect Albazi could take away the former champion’s hooks and eliminate takedown entries along the cage en route to the early rounds. And if Albazi shows the improvements in pace that usually accompany second swings in five-round affairs, then I think we’ll be in for a competitive fight from start to finish.

While I generally side with the more tried-and-true products, I find myself toning down my usual tendencies given how horrible my choices have been this year. I wouldn’t mind being wrong as a Moreno fan, but I will reluctantly side with Albazi in making another decision by having the more effective grappling hook and landing the more eye-catching shots.

Prediction: Albazi by decision

Brandon Moreno vs. Amir Albazi Start Time, Where to Watch

As the main event, Moreno and Albazi are scheduled to hit the octagon around 10:45 p.m. ET. The fight is broadcast live ESPN+.

To learn more about the card, visit MMA Junkie’s Event Center for UFC Fight Night 246.