On February 27 in Las Vegas, the next UFC Fight Night tournament will take place, headlined by Bobby Green and Islam Makhachev. In the co-main event, there will be a middleweight category match between Misha Cirkunov and Wellington Turman. We analyzed whether the Latvian can secure his first win in the new weight class and prepared a prediction for the fight.
Misha Cirkunov
The Latvian fighter debuted on the professional scene in 2010. With a record of 9-2, he entered the UFC and initially performed well. He managed to finish four opponents, including Ukrainian Nikita Krylov. However, he then faced tougher competitors and started losing. Cirkunov couldn’t handle former title contender Volkan Oezdemir or current champion Glover Teixeira. Moreover, Misha suffered heavy knockouts. In his last six fights, he lost four and moved to middleweight.
Wellington Turman
The Brazilian athlete started his career in 2014 and, five years later, stepped in on short notice against Karl Roberson, losing by split decision. He then won two out of four fights, including a victory over UFC veteran Sam Alvey. Several of his bouts have been canceled due to health issues. He was scheduled to fight Sean Strickland and Aliaskhab Khizriev. His last appearance in the octagon was in August 2021, when he defeated Alvey again.
Statistics and Prediction
Cirkunov is 8 cm taller than Turman, and his reach is 13 cm longer. Statistically, the Latvian lands more significant strikes and defends better against opponents’ attacks. Both hold black belts in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, but Cirkunov attempts takedowns twice as often. It’s worth noting that Turman has 100% defense against takedown attempts.
Turman is a fighter with average striking technique, relying more on his wrestling skills. In his last three fights, he lost twice by knockout, so his chin isn’t unbreakable. Cirkunov also struggles with taking hits, but it’s clear he was facing the best light heavyweights. I doubt the Brazilian has the strength and skills to outwrestle the larger and more experienced Cirkunov. Misha’s striking is unpolished, but his punches pack more power. The Latvian should handle the Brazilian without much trouble.
