This is an excellent matchup. Both guys are on nice win streaks, they are both sniffing a spot inside the top 10. It's also a hard pick to make and the odds are too wide. I understand Montel being the favorite because of the power and the wrestling but Marcos has a chin and very good takedown defense. I also trust Marcos' cardio more than Montel's. and not that I have seen Montel gas, but I've definitely seen Marco push into overdrive. The general public and the sportsbooks are very squarely on the Jackson side, but I am going the other direction and picking Daniel Marcos. Bet wise, as long as these odds stay wide, a +3.5 could make sense.
Montel Jackson
Montel Jackson is making a name for himself with his power, but he's a good wrestler who added striking late. He's very well rounded and has a resume full of KOs, Decisions and Submissions. His takedown accuracy is an impressive 71% with an average of almost 4 per fight. Often times people focus on his power and not his wrestling credentials. At one point in time he was at the Olympic Training facility and hopes to compete at that level. He is coming off the KO win over Da'Mon Blackshear about 9 months ago.
Daniel Marcos
Daniel Marcos is an effective striker with power and accuracy. He does a nice job stringing together combinations and marching forward. He will throw one twos and follow up with flying knees and elbows. His takedown defense is solid at 88% and with 8KOs and 9 decisions we know he's dangerous but also has the cardio for 3 rounds. He is coming off the razor close decision over Adrian Yanez where he had the striking volume but Yanez the bigger moments.
