UFC 249: Ferguson vs. Gaethje - Predictions and Picks

#3 Heavyweight: Greg Hardy vs. Yorgan De Castro

Can Greg Hardy overcome the less athletic Yorgan De Castro?

It’s now been six months since we last saw Hardy in the Octagon, in a unanimous decision loss to top ten ranked Alexander Volkov. To be fair to the former NFL player, his performance that night wasn’t that bad. He simply lacked the striking nuance to really compete with the Russian although he showed a solid chin and a lot of heart to survive for three rounds.

This fight is much more up his alley; we’ve seen De Castro once in the UFC thus far, and the native of Cape Verde took just over two minutes to KO Justin Tafa. Currently, 6-0 in MMA, De Castro’s big strength is in his punching power. Five of his wins have come by TKO, but he’s nowhere near Hardy’s level when it comes to athletic talent.

Can De Castro actually win this fight? Perhaps. He definitely hits hard and it’s not like Hardy is a great fighter yet, particularly when it comes to his cardio. However, the fact is that this fight feels very reminiscent of Hardy’s earlier one with Ben Sosoli – another hard hitter who was much smaller and less athletic.

I’m assuming we’ll see a fire-fight here. But Hardy – the bigger, stronger guy – has all the advantages when it comes to speed and athleticism. And unless he gasses out horribly or decides to illegally use an inhaler between rounds, then I think it’s his fight to lose.

The Pick: Hardy via first-round TKO