A popular fight of the night pick for tomorrow’s UFC Vegas 13 cards is the middleweight clash between Ian Heinisch (14-3) and Brendan Allen (15-3). Both of these middleweight contenders have been waiting for this matchup since earlier this year.
These two were originally supposed to fight back in June. However, Heinisch had to pull out of that contest. Allen went on to take on Kyle Daukaus and won a grueling decision that night in a fight that proved to be much tougher than anticipated for Allen.
Allen will walk into the cage tomorrow night having won seven fights in a row. Including all three of his appearances in the UFC. A highlight victory for him was the submission of Kevin Holland who is also making a name for himself in 2020.
The Heinisch – Allen fight was setup for June after Heinisch knocked out Gerald Meerschaert. Meerschaert is a teammate of Allen’s and Allen wanted to get that fight back for his team. He finally has that chance at UFC Vegas 13.
That win for Ian Heinisch back in June snapped a two fight losing streak for The Hurricane. Prior to that, Heinisch had won his first two fights in the UFC. A win for either one of these men tomorrow night will likely net them a ranked opponent in their next fight.
UFC Vegas 13 Prediction
When analyzing this fight, a lot of it is going to come down to the first round. Ian Heinisch has good grappling skills, however, I believe he’s going to try to keep this fight standing. I would give the grappling advantage to Allen in this fight.
However, the striking and cardio advantage would have to go to Ian Heinisch. Heinisch is going to come right out looking to pressure Allen. Allen does have a very solid jab, but you can bet he will be looking to get this fight down early and often.
If Allen is able to get this fight down in the first round, I think he can use his top pressure to zap some of the energy from Heinisch. However, I’m not sure he’s going to be able to get him down like he needs to.
I think ultimately the striking advantage will lead to more points in this one. I’m expecting a war that goes the distance, but I believe that Heinisch will be able to secure his second straight UFC victory here in 2020.
Prediction: Ian Heinisch by Unanimous Decision