Preview: UFC on ESPN 29 ‘Cannonier vs. Gastelum’

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Heavyweights

NR | Chase Sherman (15-7, 3-6 UFC) vs. NR | Parker Porter (10-6, 1-1 UFC)

ODDS: Sherman (-190), Porter (+165)

If nothing else, Sherman is slowly getting better. “The Vanilla Gorilla” came into the UFC in 2016 and was an interesting prospect. A former football player at Delta State University, Sherman looked to be a plus athlete and had youth on his side. That all held true, but while Sherman had his moments, his first UFC stint was mostly marked by his lack of defense. Sherman proved quite durable and could trade with opponents, but they could essentially hit him at will and often find a finish as a result. After a regional stint and some bareknuckle boxing, Sherman got the call back from the UFC shortly after the coronavirus pandemic and looked improved. While the defense is still an issue, he is a more diverse striker, and at 31 years of age as a heavyweight, he still has about another decade to round into form. After an April loss to Andrei Arlovski, Sherman looks to rebound against Porter.

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The pandemic led to the UFC signing some journeyman types who normally would not have made it on the roster otherwise, Porter among them. He has been around long enough that one of his early fights came against a nascent Jon Jones. It was nice to see Porter get a chance at more of a spotlight when the UFC picked him up in August, though the worry is that he would not have the athleticism or durability to hang against tougher competition. Early returns are mixed. His debut against Chris Daukaus ended in a quick knockout loss and did not portend good things, but Daukaus has proven to be much better than expected and Porter managed to rebound with a grimy win over Josh Parisian. Porter actually has a solid approach for a heavyweight, so as long as the durability does not prove to be much of an issue, he could carve out a solid niche as a gatekeeper going forward. However, he is still clearly outgunned in this one, and Sherman should take over this fight in short order. The pick is Sherman via first-round knockout.

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