Bryan Battle vs AJ Fletcher at UFC Fight Night 228
BRYAN BATTLE VS AJ FLETCHER FACTS
When is UFC Fight Night 228? Saturday 23September, 2023 - 22:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Fight Night 228? UFC APEX, Enterprise, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night 228?
What channel is UFC Fight Night 228 on? TNT Sports 3
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night 228? TNT Sports subscribers can stream the fight online via the TNT Sports website and Discovery+
BRYAN BATTLE VS AJ FLETCHER LOWDOWN
Bryan Battle (9-2) deserved a lot of credit for stepping up on short notice to fight Rinat Fakhretdinov (2022) at UFC Fight Night 216. The Russian inevitably extended his streak to a colossal 19 with a unanimous decision, but Battle responded perfectly back in May by knocking out Gabe Green (2023) in 14 seconds.
AJ Fletcher (10-2) also displayed some character earlier this year to claw back a win. There was a lot of hype on him after smoking Leonardo Damiani (2021) with a flying knee on the Contender Series. However, he lost decisions to Matt Semelsberger and Ange Loosa last year. He returned six months later and pulled off a vintage submission over Themba Gorimbo (2023).
BRYAN BATTLE VS AJ FLETCHER PREDICTION
As virtually all of Fletcher’s fights at welterweight, he will be giving up a significant height and reach advantage - 10 inches in reach and three in height. He will look to make up for that by exploding into range with bursts of strikes while looking for a takedown.
Battle’s activity and consistent improvement make him the favourite here. However, Fletcher has the skillset to give him a lot of problems. He will have the speed and power advantage and his takedowns will be a constant threat.
If Fletcher can take him down early, it could be a long night for Battle. Battle’s takedown defence is improving, but if Fletcher can close the distance without getting clipped, we back him to drag the fight to the ground and work on a submission.
Battle is the better striker and uses his range well. He is also dangerous off his back when he ends up on his back and we are leaning towards him to earn a decision convincing the judges with his volume.
That said, we can also see Fletcher’s durability enabling him to absorb the output and get this done with his wrestling.
Prediction: Battle via decision
