Ht/Wt: 6’2/205 lbs.
Age: 22
Hometown: Long Beach, Calif.
Fighting out of: Las Vegas
Record: 6-1
The stakes: Part of the first wave of WEC imports from the UFC’s annexation of its kid brother’s middleweight and light heavyweight divisions, Cantwell was originally slated for a rubber match with WEC rival Brian Stann, but injuries have placed fellow UFC newcomer Razak Al-Hassan in the spotlight. Regardless, in a wildly competitive division loaded with heavy hitters, Cantwell needs to open his ledger with a win or become just another face in a bloated division.
The breakdown: A vastly improved fighter from the one who first started out in the WEC, Cantwell’s striking has become surprisingly smooth and his long frame allows him to control the Octagon with his movement and reach. Both will be key against Al-Hassan, who makes his living on the ground and certainly won’t be willing to play tag on the feet with the robotic one.
Razak Al-Hassan
Scouting Report
Ht/Wt: 6’1/205 lbs.
Age: 26
Hometown: Ames, Iowa
Fighting out of: Des Moines, Iowa
Record: 6-0
The stakes: In this day and age, with the UFC constantly bringing in new talent while simultaneously looking to trim the roster, it’s easy to fall through the cracks and end up on the outside looking in after nothing more than a cup of coffee in the big leagues. That’s the dilemma for Al-Hassan, who needs a win worse than the OKC Thunder if he plans on sticking with this whole MMA thing.
The breakdown: On the opposite end of the spectrum from Cantwell, Al-Hassan is at his best with top position on the mat, where he can grind down opponents with strikes and set up submissions. Cutting off the cage and cornering Cantwell is critical for Al-Hassan, as he can easily end up chasing Cantwell around the cage for three rounds unless he seizes the initiative.
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The bottom line: This is one of the more interesting style clashes on this card, and it features a pair of solid prospects to boot. The difference here will be Cantwell’s lateral movement and stiff jab, as Al-Hassan has yet to deal with such a style and will end up meeting a fist every time he takes a step forward en route to a decision loss.