Farid Basharat vs Taylor Lapilus Prediction: The favored Basharat has my backing

Farid Basharat is set to step into the Octagon against Taylor Lapilus at UFC Vegas 84 this Sunday. Both fighters, coming off recent victories, aim to secure another win. Despite Farid Basharat being the favored contender, do you believe Lapilus has a chance in this fight?

In his previous match, Farid Basharat faced Kleydson Rodrigues and secured a victory with an arm triangle in the first round. Rodrigues managed to land 25 out of 26 total strikes in the bout. Conversely, Farid Basharat connected with 25 out of 36 total strikes. In the significant strikes category, Rodrigues achieved an 87% success rate by landing 7 out of 8, with 3 of those strikes targeting the head. In contrast, Farid Basharat had a 66% accuracy, landing 4 out of 6 significant strikes, including 2 out of 3 to the head.

It's worth noting that 57% of the significant strikes landed by Kleydson Rodrigues and none by Farid Basharat occurred at a distance.

In Taylor Lapilus's recent bout against Caolan Loughran, he secured a victory through unanimous decision in the third round. Caolan Loughran achieved a remarkable 91% success rate in connecting with his significant strikes at a distance, while Lapilus closely followed with 90% accuracy in his significant strikes attempted at distance Taylor Lapilus, throughout the match, landed 51% of his significant strikes, completing 84 out of 163 attempts, and connected with 59 of 133 significant strikes aimed at the head.

On the other side, Caolan Loughran managed to connect with 48 of 132 significant strikes, with 28 of them targeting the head. In terms of overall strikes thrown in the bout, Caolan Loughran connected on 70 out of 166, while Taylor Lapilus matched him with 87 out of 166 total strikes.

I believe Basharat has a diverse skill set that positions him well for securing a victory. Both fighters demonstrate proficiency in boxing and grappling, but Lapilus lacks the range of secondary styles that Basharat can seamlessly transition between, including kicking, boxing, and wrestling. In the event that Basharat needs a takedown, a strategic approach would involve reaching for both legs, preferably maintaining a slight distance from the fence. Effectively gripping the legs or hips becomes crucial to prevent Lapilus from swiftly returning to a standing position. Basharat's patient and methodical approach suggests that addressing these scenarios will likely be a focal point during his training camp; hence, a win for him.