"Take his time, touch him up with the jab and then go for the kill" - Bellator middleweight champion Johnny Eblen predicts outcome of Jared Cannonier vs. Sean Strickland
In a recent interview with 'The Schmo', Bellator middleweight champion Johnny Eblen discussed how he expects Sean Strickland to overcome Jared Cannonier in their brawl in a few months' time.
In his last outing, the 31-year-old Strickland came up short in his pursuit for gold when he was knocked out midway through the first round against Alex Pereira. Most expected the American to use grappling, neutralizing the power of 'Poatan' and grinding out a decision. However, as is so often the case in MMA, the fight didn't go as planned.
Speaking about the high-stakes middleweight clash on October 15, Eblen laid out the blueprint for how he expects Sean Strickland to overwhelm his opponent:
"[Sean Strickland has to] take his time, touch him up with the jab and then go on for the kill when he hurts him. Just take his time. If he takes his time and stays patient, and touches him up with clean jabs, he's gonna win that fight."
'Tarzan' had impressive wins over Uriah Hall, Brendan Allen, Krzysztof Jotko, and Jack Hermansson before his latest loss. He will be hoping to recapture the form inside the cage that put him in the title picture.
The UFC Fight Night in October, headlined by Jared Cannonier and Sean Strickland, will feature a handful of veterans, rising stars, and potential future champions.
Misha Cirkunov will welcome the heavy-handed Alonzo Menifield into the octagon, while Cub Swanson faces the surging Jonathan Martinez. Furthermore, future title contenders collide when Askar Askarov takes on Brandon Royval and Raphael Assuncao will lock horns with the entertaining Victor Henry.
Check out what Johnny Eblen had to say about the forthcoming Sean Strickland vs. Jared Cannonier bout in the post below:
How does Jared Cannonier beat Sean Strickland?
'The Killa Gorilla' has proven his worth in the middleweight division and is a real problem for the majority of the weight class, but how does he overcome Strickland's pressure?
Jared Cannonier possesses sickening knockout power and is never afraid to go toe-to-toe with strikers in the center of the cage. The former heavyweight has amassed 10 KO wins in his 21-fight career and has finished high-quality fighters such as Anderson Silva, Derek Brunson, and Jack Hermansson.
If he hopes to have his hand raised at the end of the fight, the 38-year-old Cannonier must rely on his 66% takedown defense to keep the fight standing, unleash his destructive power and search for a knockout victory.