Two middleweights who have not lost in quite a while will lock horns this weekend in the main event of UFC Vegas 33. That’s Uriah Hall and Sean Strickland, who will be capping off the night at UFC APEX down in Las Vegas with an intriguing battle of two fighters looking to take a step closer to a title fight.
Hall is having quite a renaissance at age 36. He has won all his past four fights, though his last victory didn’t require him to even break a sweat, with Chris Weidman breaking his leg 17 seconds into the match last April. Prior to that, Hall scored a split decision win over Antonio Carlos Junior in September 2019 and a KO win against Bevon Lewis in December 2018. Hall may be getting old, but he’s still got the tools worthy of being feared. He is an athletic specimen with power and good length. Hall has 14 wins via T/KO and one by way of submission. He’s been knocked out four times but has never been submitted. Against Strickland, Hall will enjoy a three-inch reach advantage despite being smaller in height by an inch. Hall is landing just 3.34 strikes per minute but he mostly makes them count, as underscored by his 51 percent striking accuracy.
Strickland is on a roll himself, having gone 4-0 in his last four fights as well. He fought and defeated Krzysztof Jotko back in May 2021 via unanimous decision. A striker, Strickland will be looking to hurt Hall, who doesn’t have the sturdiest of jaws in the UFC. Hall’s last three losses all came via T/KOs, including the one against Paolo Costa in 2018. Strickland is a push-forward fighter who is landing 5.14 significant strikes per minute on 39 percent accuracy. His striking defense is superb, avoiding and deflecting 67 percent that his opponents throw. He has 10 wins via T/KOs and seems to be just as adept on the ground as he is standing up. Strickland has four submission victories against zero submission losses. He is averaging 1.14 takedowns per 15 minutes in the UFC to go along with an 82 percent takedown defense.
