UFC Vegas 36: Derek Brunson vs Darren Till Preview

UFC Vegas 36 goes down this weekend at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas as top ten middleweights Derek Brunson and Darren Till lock horns in a potential title eliminator.

In the co-main event, heavyweight prospect Tom Aspinall takes on Sergey Spivak. Elsewhere on the main card, Alex Perez fights Matt Schnell, Alex Morono faces David Zawada and Paddy Pimblett makes his UFC debut against Luigi Vendramini.

Derek Brunson vs Darren Till

Brunson is currently riding a four-fight win streak, with his most recent win coming against Kevin Holland at UFC Vegas 22, while Till is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Robert Whittaker. The two will battle in a good old grappler vs striker matchup. 

Brunson is arguably the best wrestler in the middleweight division, which is dominated by strikers. His path to victory will be taking Till down and finishing him, but Till will try and keep the fight standing because that’s where he thrives. Till has an incredible takedown defense, and he’ll be a tough cookie to crack for Brunson, but the American is a relentless grappler and will cause problems for the Brit.

Till has the edge going into the fight, but it could go either way.

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Tom Aspinall vs Sergey Spivak

Tom Aspinall was originally scheduled to fight Sergey Pavlovich, who won’t be able to make it to the United States due to visa issues. Spivak is stepping in on short notice, but he’s still a very tough fight for the English heavyweight.

Spivak has amazing grappling, and he will be looking to take the fight to the ground, to either earn a TKO or submission win. Aspinall has an excellent takedown defense, however. He has amazing grappling as well, plus an advantage in the striking department, so he will surely have more to showcase at UFC Vegas 36. It’s still a very close fight nonetheless and one to keep an eye on.

Alex Perez vs Matt Schnell

Alex Perez vs Matt Schnell is another intriguing matchup at UFC Vegas 36. Schnell is an excellent striker, but his karate stance will be vulnerable to calf kicks, which he struggled against in his last fight. Perez isn’t as polished as Schnell in the striking department, but he has great calf kicks. He’s also an excellent grappler with high pressure and will look to take the fight to the ground and outwork his opponent. 

Schnell has a very sneaky submission game, however, so Perez will have to be very careful. It’s a very even fight and could go either way.

Alex Morono vs David Zawada

Alex Morono vs David Zawada is another very even contest at UFC Vegas 36. Morono is coming off a massive first-round stoppage win against Donald Cerrone in his most recent fight, so a lot of eyes will be on him. Morono is a high-pressure, high-volume striker, who likes to walk his opponents down. He has crisp boxing and vicious knockout power in his hands.

Zawada is better-rounded in comparison and likes to strike at a distance before he can find the opening for a takedown. He has the tools to take the fight to the mat, and even win it on the feet, but he will have to mix things up to stop Morono’s forward pressure. It’s going to be a very intriguing fight.

Paddy Pimblett vs Luigi Vendramini

Paddy Pimblett will make his UFC debut against Luigi Vendramini at UFC Vegas 36, but he’s already got a lot of eyes on him. He has his share of fans and haters and has been making his presence felt through his trash talking on social media. He’s the biggest star, after Conor McGregor, to come out of the United Kingdom’s famed Cage Warriors promotion, so he’s got a lot to live up to.

Pimblett is a great fighter. He has excellent kicks, and a decent standup game overall, but he’s known for his grappling prowess, which he will try and showcase at UFC Vegas 36. Vendramini has great BJJ, but probably not enough to stop Pimblett. ‘The Italian Stallion’ will have to keep the fight standing, and land bombs early as he’s got immense power in his hands to put his opponent off his game. The longer the fight goes, the better it will be for the Brit.

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