Preview: UFC Perth Prelims

Heavyweights

Brando Pericic (4-1) vs. Elisha Ellison (5-1)

Odds: Pericic (-180); Ellison (+150)

Australia’s “Balkan Bear” will meet the hilariously nicknamed “Snack Panther” in a clash of once-beaten heavyweight prospects, as the curtain comes up on UFC Fight Night 260.

The bad news—and unpretty truth—is that neither of these fighters would be close to ready for prime time in any division other than heavyweight. The good news is that they are heavyweights, and young ones at that, who do have some upside. The most obvious upside to Pericic is his size. The City Kickboxing export is a huge heavyweight, 6-foot-5 and with a rangy, long-limbed build closer to his fellow Balkan heavyweight Ante Delija, or even a Curtis Blaydes, than to the stocky, barrel-chested build of most UFC big men.

Stylistically, Pericic is much closer to Delija than to Blaydes, but where Delija seems conscious of his reach advantages and tries to fight on the outside as much as possible, the limited tape on Pericic shows him usually throwing a big strike or two, then stepping right into the clinch. That is often the sign of a fighter looking to nullify an opponent’s speed advantage, and it can be effective, especially when the fighter in question has some tools to work with once they get there. Pericic does, in the form of hard elbows, knees and uppercuts, and a very effective outside trip. Once on the ground—when he’s on top, at least—Pericic is a scary customer, delivering hard ground strikes.

Ellison is the polar opposite of Pericic in many ways. A shade under six feet tall, he is squat, powerful and a pretty good athlete. He is a striker by inclination and, left to his own devices, almost a pure boxer. Again, the tape is limited on a fellow with six career fights that all ended within the first round, but the impression he gives is of a fighter who only remembers that he’s allowed to kick when his opponent does it to him, and then responds in kind. He has fast hands and good power in his punches as well as kicks. With his build and athleticism, Ellison could probably become a plus wrestler by heavyweight standards just by trying, but thus far in his career he hasn’t really had to.

It’s rarely easy to prognosticate a matchup between two fighters with less than an hour of cage time between them, even more so when each of them will probably be the best opponent the other has faced. Ironically, it is the much taller Pericic who is more likely to want a close-quarters fight, and more likely to initiate a ground fight. That versatility, and the sheer size disparity, make me lean towards Pericic getting things off to a joyous start for the Aussie faithful. Pericic by decision.



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Stirling vs. Bellato
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Mullarkey vs. Bedoya
Montague vs. Carolina
Pericic vs. Ellison