Preview: UFC Fight Night 199 Prelims

Lightweights

NR | Jordan Leavitt (8-1, 1-1 UFC) vs. NR | Matt Sayles (8-3, 1-2 UFC)

ODDS: Leavitt (-115), Sayles (-105)

Leavitt is an interesting prospect, though he still has some ways to go to find his footing in the UFC’s deep lightweight division. “The Monkey King” clearly knows his strengths, immediately looking to take his fights to the mat, which is where he shines. Leavitt is a standout grappler with a creative ability to hunt for submissions. After earning a contract via Dana White’s Contender Series in 2020, Leavitt capped off his year with an impressively brutal UFC debut, knocking out Matt Wiman in just 22 seconds with a powerful slam. However, his June loss to Claudio Puelles was a bit disheartening. While Puelles is proving himself as an impressive grappler in his own right, it came as a surprise exactly how much he shut down Leavitt and made him appear one-dimensional. Leavitt looks to rebound against Sayles, who moves up a weight class after a two-year hiatus. A Dominick Cruz disciple, Sayles does a lot of things right. He has some thudding power with a counter-heavy striking approach and can hold his own on the mat, but he has struggled to turn that consistency into huge winning moments at the UFC level. His lone UFC win over Kyle Nelson came after a few back-and-forth rounds, and his last fight saw Bryce Mitchell memorably lock on a rare Twister submission for the victory. Mitchell is a particularly slick and aggressive grappler, but there is some chance that Leavitt can replicate his efforts. The worry? It may be Leavitt’s only clear path to a victory. Sayles should be helped with the move to lightweight and ability to avoid the takedowns of slower opponents, and as long as he keeps this fight standing, this seems like a clear victory. There is a great deal of danger involved, but the pick is Sayles via second-round knockout.