Dennis Bermudez
Age: 31
Nationality: American
MMA Record: 16-8
UFC Record: 9-6
Notable Wins: Max Holloway, Clay Guida
Notable Losses: Jeremy Stephens, Ricardo Lamas, Chan Sung Jung, Andre Fili, Darren Elkins
Last Fight: Decision loss to Andre Fili
Fighter Profile: A long-time contender in the UFC featherweight division, Bermudez made a run to the top at 145lbs when he reeled off seven-straight wins following a loss in the TUF 14 Finale, but he has fallen on hard time since then with a 2-5 record including three straight losses. Bermudez is a powerful wrestler who at times has hown tremendous knockout power and submission ability in the UFC but he has also shown a very shaky chin at times and his striking defense has a ton of holes that keep getting exploited. Although he’s very strong he is still one of the smaller featherweights in the UFC and that has been exploited in recent fights as well. He’s a good fighter but he may have already reached his peak as a contender at 145lbs, and it seems like he’s turned into more a gatekeeper at this point.
Rick Glenn
Age: 29
Nationality: American
MMA Record: 20-5-1
UFC Record: 2-2
Notable Wins: Georgi Karakhanyan, Johnny Case, Gavin Tucker
Notable Losses: Myles Jury, Evan Dunham, Lance Palmer
Last Fight: Decision loss to Myles Jury
Fighter Profile: The former WSOF featherweight champion, Glenn has looked pretty solid since coming to the UFC with a 2-2 record inside the Octagon. He’s shown some really strong striking skills although his takedown defense needs work as well as his striking defense. Prior to coming to the UFC Glenn was a tremendous finisher with the majority of his wins coming by stoppage but so far in the UFC it’s been all decisions for him. He has more potential than what he’s shown so far and if he can start finishing fights in the Octagon he will start getting bigger fights. The UFC clearly is high on him as he’s gotten ranked opponents in his last few fights but now it’s time for Glenn to pick up the pace and get a finish if he wants to climb the ladder.
Fight Breakdown: Bermudez is the more proven fighter in the UFC but I haven’t liked what I’ve seen from him lately. I just feel like he has too many holes in his games and I feel like he’s on the downside of his career. Although Glenn has been up-and-down in the UFC, when he’s been on he’s looked really good and I believe he has a lot of untapped potential still. Bermudez can win this fight if he uses his wrestling and fight smarts, but he rarely fights smart and he tends to his his fights standing. If that happens here, it could cost him dearly as Glenn is the better striker. Ultimately I feel like Glenn’s striking advantage is going to get him the win in this fight, and with 15 minutes to get the job done against a chinny fighter, I see him getting the KO.
Prediction: Rick Glenn via TKO
