UFC 222 Preview, Breakdown & Analysis

Originally, UFC 222, which will take place live on pay-per-view (PPV) this Saturday (March 3, 2018) night from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, was scheduled to be headlined by a featherweight title fight between champion Max Holloway and Frankie Edgar, but “Blessed” was forced to withdraw from the fight after suffering an injury.

The show, however, must go on and indeed it will.

In the event’s new headliner, women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg will defend her 145-pound strap against Yana Kunitskaya.

The co-main event, meanwhile, will play host to a featherweight battle between Edgar and surging contender Brian Ortega. Also on the main card, touted rising prospect Sean O’Malley will meet Andre Soukhamthath.

Without further ado, let’s take a deeper look into UFC 222’s marquee fights:

Cris Cyborg vs. Yana Kunitskaya

In this bout, Cyborg will look to make the second consecutive defense of her UFC featherweight title against former Invicta FC bantamweight titleholder Yana Kunitskaya.

Since entering the UFC in 2016, Cyborg has compiled a 4-0 Octagon record with three of those victories coming by way of TKO.

While the Brazilian has rounded out her game over the years, her bread and butter has always been her striking. Possessing a lethal Muay Thai background, Cyborg uses a wide variety of attacks on the feet. She’s fast, explosive and her power is unparalleled, which makes her a threat to finish a fight at any given time. Also, she prefers to move forward and pressure her opponents.

In terms of grappling, Cyborg rarely looks for the takedown, however, her defensive wrestling is quite strong. She owns a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu although she’s never scored a victory via submission.

Ahead of this fight, few may have heard of Kunitskaya, but she is certainly a skilled fighter, possessing a 10-3 overall record with seven of those victories coming by way of T/KO.

Coming from a Taekwondo and Muay Thai background, Kunitskaya is well-versed on the feet. She uses distance and her range well, but she also isn’t afraid to throw unorthodox techniques. Primarily, however, Kunitskaya prefers to utilize straight punches, and at times, mixes leg kicks into her attacks.

Ultimately, I believe that Kunitskaya is a talented fighter, although I don’t feel she’s ready for Cyborg. Personally, I feel as if the Brazilian is too skilled, too experienced and too ferocious.

Prediction: Cris Cyborg def. Yana Kunitskaya via first-round TKO

Frankie Edgar vs. Brian Ortega

In my opinion, this fight is one of the most intriguing of 2018 thus far.

Edgar, the former lightweight champion, has put together back-to-back victories since losing a rematch to Jose Aldo for the 145-pound title in July 2016.

A well-rounded fighter, “The Answer” comes from a decorated wrestling background, but he’s blended that very well with a strong boxing game, incredible cardio, and great footwork.

On the feet, he mixes up his combinations well, never stops moving and typically puts a relentless pace on his opponents. Edgar also flows well between punches, leg kicks, and takedowns.

On the ground, Edgar only has four submission victories to his credit, but he owns a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and will need to make sure his submission defense is on point for this bout.

Ortega has made a name for himself by scoring five straight UFC victories and he may very well be the best submission artist in the division.

A black belt under Rener Gracie, seven of Ortega’s 13 professional victories have come by way of submission. He quickly pounces on any opportunity to lock up a hold and if the fight goes to ground, he may have the advantage over Edgar.

Despite his high-level grappling pedigree, Ortega has rounded out his striking game. Having shown the ability to switch stances, Ortega puts his punches together nicely and also utilizes damaging uppercuts and knees.

However, his striking defense has been a bit questionable.

Ultimately, I could see this fight going either way.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see Ortega keep his momentum going and it’s certainly possible that he could lock up another submission. However, Edgar has been in this position before when he’s been matched up against rising contenders.

I believe that “The Answer” will prove that there are levels in the fight game and use his experience and well-rounded skill set to pick apart Ortega on his way to a victory.

Prediction: Frankie Edgar def. Brian Ortega via unanimous decision

Sean O’Malley vs. Andre Soukhamthath

This main card bout will feature a clash between two bantamweight kick boxers.

O’Malley gained recognition by scoring a victory on “Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series”, but he holds a 9-0 professional record with seven of those victories coming by way of stoppage. He’s also 2-0 in the Octagon.

A long and rangy southpaw, O’Malley moves well and packs some power in his strikes, as six of his finishes have come by way of T/KO. He isn’t afraid to throw flashy strikes either, although he’ll have to remain composed in this bout.

In terms of grappling, O’Malley isn’t necessarily known for his skills in this department, but he’s never been submitted and has continued to round out his game training at The MMA Lab.

Soukhamthath, meanwhile, holds a 12-5 professional record with eight of those victories coming by way of T/KO. However, he’s just 1-2 in the UFC thus far.

A hard hitter, Soukhamthath is likely the larger and more powerful fighter here, which he could use to his advantage. He likes to put pressure on his opponents, while looking to land big shots.

In terms of grappling, he too prefers to strike, but he’s shown solid takedown defense at times, looking to sprawl and counter with heavy strikes.

I find this to be an intriguing 135-pound scrap, but I’m going to side with O’Malley here. He’ll need to stay calm, keep his distance and avoid big shots, but I expect him to use his range to pick apart Soukhamthath.

Prediction: Sean O’Malley def. Andre Soukhamthath via unanimous decision