UFC Fight Night: Smith vs Spann: Joaquin Buckley vs Antonio Arroyo- Prediction and Analysis

Published 09/18/2021, 10:03 AM EDT

UFC Fight Night: Smith vs Spann will see a middleweight match-up between Joaquin Buckley and Antonio Arroyo go down in the main card opener slot. Both fighters are entering the contest after losing their last fights. Either man will be determined to get a win and shift the momentum in their favor when the Octagon door closes this weekend.

Buckley will be making his fifth appearance in the UFC this weekend. He has 2 of his fights in the promotion. After a knockout loss to Kevin Holland in his promotional debut, ‘New Mansa’ earned back-to-back highlight-reel knockouts in his favor. His knockout of Impa Kasagnay was touted as the best finish in the UFC ever by many. He lost his last fight via head kick knockout against Alessio Di Chirico.

The former Dana White’s Contender Series alumnus, Arroyo, has won both his fights in the promotion. However, he has faced two very high-caliber opponents so far. Derron Winn and Andre Muniz are both handfuls for anybody in the 185 lbs division of the UFC.

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Buckley has a professional record of 12-4. He is a powerful striker with 9 finishes. All 9 of those finishes have come via T/KO which is a testament to his ability to put opponents to sleep.

Arroyo has a record of 9-4 with a total of 8 finishes. He is a versatile fighter and is well-rounded wherever the fight goes. His 8 finishes comprise of 4 T/KO and 4 submission wins.

Joaquin Buckley vs Antonio Arroyo: Analysis

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Buckley is a very highly touted prospect among the fans. Also, he has legit power in his hands as well. So, it is understandable why hisn abilities are so highly hyped up. However, he has looked a bit sloppy in his recent loss as well.

Arroyo doesn’t necessarily possess the grappling abilities to control Buckley on the floor. So, one can expect the fight to be a stand-up war. Buckley should be able to find an opening for one of his bombs and eventually put Arroyo to sleep.

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Final Prediction: Joaquin ‘New Mansa’ Buckley by second-round knockout.

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Written by:

Apratim Banerjee is an MMA author for EssentiallySports and has been writing professionally for almost a year. Before his current gig, Apratim worked as a UFC writer for Sportskeeda. A long-time MMA fan, Apratim has developed a critical eye for the sport that has helped him transfer his vast knowledge to his copies and give hardcore and casual readers a detailed insight into the fights and fighters.

UFC Fight Night: Smith vs Spann: Joaquin Buckley vs Antonio Arroyo- Prediction and Analysis

Joaquin Buckley vs Antonio Arroyo: Analysis

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