Talk about a set up fight. We have a powerhouse striker with 6 KO wins taking on a pretty chinny guy who wants to strike and has been KO’d in all 4 of his losses. This matchup is only here to showcase Gandra and build up the highlight reel. Unfortunately for Ozzy, thats the role he plays in the UFC. They used him to get KO’d by Pyfer in his comeback Contender Series fight, then used him to get KO’d by MingYang because they wanted a Chinese champion and then they used him to build up Ateba Gautier’s highlight. He plays the role well and he plays it here. if i had any confidence whatsoever that he could survive I might try to spin some narrative that he could weather a storm then takeover with wrestling. But I don’t think he can weather a storm and he doesn’t have wrestling. Gandra is the confident pick.

Ryan Gandra

Ryan Gandra is a busy forward pressure striker who only moves in one direction and lets his hands go. He is very hittable but for every shot he eats, he throws two back your way. If he can get you against the cage he won’t look for a takedown and instead will launch pucnhes at your face from his hip. While he prefers to strike, he isn’t completely clueless in the grappling department. He can defend takedowns well and if he gets his own he does a great job keep control and still striking. He is coming off the KO win over Zach Reese

Ozzy Diaz

Ozzy Diaz is a striker who is light on his feet and likes to use movement well. He has some grappling, but by no means is he a grappler. He can find finishes in the clinch or at distance. He is creative with his striking and is tough, but he can also be hit and is a bit chinny. He is tall at 6’4 but isn’t the thickest guy in the world. He is coming off the KO loss to Ateba Gautier