Preview: UFC Fight Night 214 Prelims

Flyweights

Jake Hadley (8-1, 0-1 UFC) vs. Carlos Candelario (8-2, 0-1 UFC)

ODDS: Hadley (-255), Candelario (+215)

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Two flyweights look to rebound from disappointing UFC debuts in this preliminary encounter. Hadley obviously showed himself to be a UFC-level talent in his victory on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2021, but it was still a surprise to see the Englishman get a contract; Hadley missed weight and apparently had conduct issues with the UFC staff, but UFC President Dana White overruled everyone else involved and gave him a spot on the roster anyway. After all that, Hadley had some surprising struggles in his UFC debut against Allan Nascimento in May. Hadley’s bullying wrestling and grappling style figured to be enough to handle an oft-passive submission artist in Nascimento, but the Brazilian instead proved himself to be the stronger fighter on the mat and took a clear decision. No one knows how long of a leash Hadley is working with, but it would be a big help for his career if he shows out against Candelario, another somewhat surprising signee off DWCS in 2021. Candelario and Victor Altamirano combined for a fun fight that saw the latter get the narrow decision, which turned out to be enough for White to make “The Cannon” the first fighter to get a contract coming off a loss in Contender Series history. Candelario is a well-rounded veteran, but this feels a lot like his own UFC debut loss against top prospect Tatsuro Taira, where he did a good job of surviving on the mat but mostly got overwhelmed by a more athletically talented grappler. Candelario should be game, but this looks like Hadley’s fight to lose on the ground. The pick is Hadley via decision.

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