UFC Fight Night 141: Blaydes vs. Ngannou 2 - Predictions and Picks

#4 Li Jingliang vs. David Zawada

Li Jingliang has been the UFC's most impressive Chinese import so far

The first Chinese fighter to see success in the UFC, Jingliang has been around for years now – dating back to his Octagon debut in 2014. He’s put together a solid 8-3 record since, showing strong skills in all areas, including a sticky wrestling game and surprisingly heavy punching power. Last November, he returned to China to knock out Zak Ottow in impressive fashion.

Unfortunately for Jingliang, for all of his success thus far, he may well be the benefactor of some nice booking form the UFC’s matchmakers. Of his wins, only Dhiego Lima stands out as a really strong opponent – and his chin has historically been really questionable. Still, he’s never truly been beaten down in the Octagon, which means he’s a difficult opponent for anyone.

His opponent on Saturday hails from Germany and brings in one of the coolest nicknames in the entire UFC. David Zawada is nicknamed ‘Sagat’ – after the famous Street Fighter character – but where the video game Sagat was a pure Thai boxer, Zawada is far better-rounded than that. He’s got a healthy mix of wins via TKO and submission on his record, and he showed off his skills in his UFC debut in July.

Coming in on around a week’s notice, Zawada took the fight to tough Brit Danny Roberts, going toe-to-toe with him standing and putting him under extreme pressure on the ground – coming close to finishing with a D’Arce choke in the third round. Arguably, it was only a lacking gas tank – explained by the late notice – that prevented him from winning a decision.

This is a tough fight to call as both men are quite similar – they both like to strike in an aggressive fashion and both have shown power in their previous fights, and both men are adept in the grappling area, most particularly from top control. Jingliang has more UFC experience, but Zawada has fought and beaten a handful of notable UFC veterans, too.

I expect this one to go the distance but I’m leaning towards what I suspect will be a mild upset. Jake Matthews largely handled Jingliang on the ground in February and based on what he showed in July, I think Zawada can replicate that success, particularly with a full training camp behind him.

The Pick: Zawada via split decision