UFC Fight Night preview: Marlon Moraes vs. Cory Sandhagen

Two bantamweights on the cusp of a title shot will square off on Fight Island on Saturdy, and it's going to be brutal.

Let's take a look at the matchup between Marlon Moraes and Cory Sandhagen, who will face off in the main event of UFC Fight Night.

Marlon Moraes vs. Cory Sandhagen

When you compare the style of both combatants, Moraes has the touch of sleep, whereas Sandhagen is more of a death by a thousand needles.

From the onset, Moraes has a great chance to catch Sandhagen with a huge shot, while Sandhagen tries to establish his momentum. But Moraes has a small gas tank, which makes it possible for Sandhagen to outwork his opponent for the duration.

Fighters who operate with heavy activity need the proper distance and can seem predictable, and Moraes is experienced enough to anticipate when Sandhagen might feel set, so Moraes can either stuff him in a clinch or go for a home-run shot. If Moraes spends too much time loading up, Sandhagen can pile on the points and build an insurmountable lead.

Though a slight favorite, with a tremendous advantage in height and reach, Sandhagen isn't a big puncher. He can find himself in trouble if a fighter is crafty enough to bypass his physical advantages, just as we saw in his last fight, when he was submitted by Aljamain Sterling in the first round.

Moraes has a high knockout rate and is capable on the ground. He also has nearly twice as many fights as Sandhagen and has faced sterner opposition. There isn't anything Sandhagen can do that Moraes hasn't seen before, and Moraes can clip Sandhagen with one hard shot to end the fight.

His window of opportunity is small, but Moraes can win this fight by stoppage at any moment he's inside Sandhagen's reach.

There will be plenty of one-way action right out of the gate, as Moraes will try to maneuver his way to the inside. There, he'll start to do some damage, before he will tie Sandhagen up and try to take him down.

Moraes might expend a lot of energy in the process, but Moraes will lay Sandhagen out with a big shot, and the ground-and-pound to follow will end it.

MMA free pick: Moraes +130

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Moraes-Sandhagen is the feature, but make sure to check out the whole Saturday card at BetAmerica!