The Southpaw Report: UFC on ABC 6
Dan Tom breaks down the record's of fighters who are facing southpaws
Aside from the fact that most statistics you see on major broadcasts are drawn from a faulty well of information full of misinterpretation and human error, the statistical categories discussed generally lack proper sample sizes and contexts.
So, with that in mind, I try and provide unique, applicable and (hopefully) interesting stats in the form of my patent southpaw reports.
Here, I will do my best to provide you with everything from stats to written and visual analysis covering every fighter facing a dedicated southpaw on upcoming UFC cards.
This week, UFC on ABC 6 features a small but focused grouping of southpaws sprinkled throughout the card.
The Southpaw Report:
Kelvin Gastelum vs. Daniel Rodriguez
Summary: This is the lone southpaw vs. southpaw matchup on the card.
Gastelum is officially 3-1-1 against UFC-level southpaws (W: Story, Curtis, Hendricks; L: Till; NC: Belfort), but he could arguably be 3-2 given that the Belfort “No Contest” was due to a positive marijuana test and the Curtis fight was a controversial one where Curtis has a decent argument for winning.
Gastelum’s jab-cross continuums translate well to the closed-stance matchup, which helps both feed and fuel his leg kicks (which come at a much higher clip against fellow southpaws). That said, the stance pairing provides a potent two-way street that sees Gastelum getting taxed via kicks and counters.
Rodriguez, on the other hand, officially stands at 1-0 opposite dedicated UFC-level lefties (beating Tim Means). However, Rodriguez also has a win over a stance-switching Gabe Green and went 1-1 with Contender Series-level southpaws Rico Farrington and Victor Reyna (losing to Reyna via a very controversial split-decision result in Combate Americas).
Rodriguez, who is also an active southpaw jabber, does well at circling off his jab and drawing opposition into his power via his patent clubbing cross. Rodriguez also has underrated leg kicks that come out more against fellows southpaws.
Jared Gordon vs. Nasrat Haqparast
Summary: Gordon officially stands at 1-0 opposite UFC-level southpaws (beating Dan Moret). That said, Gordon also had a couple of good moments in his brief no contest with a stance-switching Bobby Green.