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Bantamweights
NR | Montel Jackson (10-2, 4-2 UFC) vs. NR | J.P. Buys (9-3, 0-1 UFC)ODDS: Jackson (-600), Buys (+450)
Jackson is yet another talented prospect who remains under the radar in a stacked bantamweight division, and he has one of the highest ceilings of the bunch. Jackson was quite raw when he got the UFC call. His Dana White’s Contender Series win came less than a year after his professional debut, and while Jackson did not directly earn a contract, he was signed shortly thereafter in a late-notice spot. “Quik” is an obvious physical talent—he has a long frame for the division, along with exceptionally large hands—and his skill level is coming along nicely, even if there are some wrinkles to be ironed out. As a wrestler by background who has mostly looked to box when given the opportunity, Jackson still seems to be figuring out his timing when mixing in the different phases of his game; and as his two losses to Ricky Simon and Brett Johns have shown, Jackson can in turn be kept off-guard against opponents willing to press an aggressive and varied game. That could be a factor here against Buys, but in general, this seems like a tough matchup for South African, who steps in on late notice and moves up from his usual weight class at flyweight. Now training out of Nevada, Buys might be in danger of becoming a “Quadruple-A” fighter. He has been a strong and effective wrestler and grappler on the regional scene and earned a contract in his second shot on the Contender Series, but losses to Joby Sanchez in his first DWCS assignment and Bruno Silva in his UFC debut were not particularly promising in terms of Buys’ ability to control his fights against stronger competition. Moving up to 135 pounds to face a gigantic bantamweight with his own wrestling background does not figure to yield successful results, though there is the off chance that the additional bulk and cardio for Buys can unlock something. Still, the bet is that Jackson can press an advantage almost anywhere this fight goes thanks to his edge in strength and power. The pick is Jackson via second-round stoppage.
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