In terms of pure entertainment, Randy “Rudeboy” Brown vs. Niko Price is one of the best bouts on UFC Fight Night 133. However, from a gambling perspective it’s one of the hardest fights to predict. Nevertheless, I will attempt to do so.
Key Advantages for “Rudeboy”
When looking at Randy Brown, the first thing that jumps off the page is his body type. As a 6’3 welterweight with a 78 inch reach, “Rudeboy” uses his range to his advantage. With awkward movement and a wide array of kicks in his arsenal, getting inside against Brown can be problematic. On paper, Brown looked to have a favorable matchup against Belal Muhammad – a shorter fighter primarily known for his boxing-centric attack. However, instead of going toe to toe with the rangier kickboxer, Muhammad executed an intelligent gameplan – chopping Brown down with leg kicks and outwrestling him to secure a dominant decision victory. When you fight fire with fire against Brown, you’re likely to get violently finished (just ask Brian Camozzi). Brown is primarily a kickboxer, although he has some submissions in his repertoire and can wrestle when he needs to. That being said, he’s more competent at scoring takedowns than defending them.
Unrefined Savagery
Niko Price is a true barbarian. He’s not the most polished striker, particularly defensively, but has decent hands and gigantic power. Against Alex Morono, Price was caught time and time again with his hands low – but eventually found the perfect opening to finish his opponent at the end of the second round. Against a much sharper striker in Vicente Luque, Price was comprehensively outclassed – but there is no shame in that loss. Like Brown, we see Price grapple when the opportunity presents itself, but he primarily wants to send your cranium flying into the bleachers with his power punches.
Who Comes out on Top?
This is a really tough fight to predict and I have no clue how the grappling exchanges will transpire. However, I do expect large portions of this fight to take place on the feet – where I give the edge to Randy Brown. Although “Rudeboy” has shown a susceptibility to leg kicks, this isn’t really part of Price’s offensive arsenal. Price primarily works with his hands, and this style of striking is much easier for Brown to prepare for. Ultimately, I feel that Brown’s diverse attacks, range and movement will be too much for Price to deal with. At close odds, I favor Brown to get the job done.
Pick: Randy Brown -110
Check out my other UFC Fight Night 133 picks.
