The first preliminary fight of the UFC Fight Night on November 28 will see Luke Sanders going up against Nathen Maness. This fight will be contested at a catchweight division. ‘Cool Hand’ Sanders will enter the octagon on the back of a win and will look to build on his momentum. Nate Maness too is coming off a unanimous decision win and will look to secure back-to-back wins.

Here we analyze both the fighters, their records, and predict who can leave the octagon with their hands raised.

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Men’s Catchweight: Luke Sanders vs. Nate Maness

Luke Sanders will enter the octagon as a favorite after a sturdy knockout victory against Renan Barao. The 13-3 fighter will seek to secure his fifth win inside the UFC. He enters as a favorite on the back of his KO win in his last outing. In the UFC, he has landed 6 strikes per minute with a 51% striking accuracy. Also, the southpaw has absorbed 4.05 strikes per minute.

His opponent, Nate Maness, is on a two-fight win streak. His recent win came against Johnny Munoz Jr. via UD in August. ‘Mayhem’ just has a single loss and 12 wins in his pro-MMA career. He is a proficient grappler, he has 100% takedown accuracy and 80% takedown defense.

However, facing ‘Cool Hand’ who lands big strikes and quick counter punches won’t be a straightforward job for Nate. He will have to hunt for takedowns to keep Sanders silent throughout the fight.

If ‘Mayhem’ can nullify Sanders’ 70% takedown defense, it could cause problems for the striker. He will head into the fight at a five-inch reach disadvantage, which makes his task to strike even tougher. Expect this fight to be largely on the ground.

Prediction: Nate Maness wins via decision.