Finnish lightweight Anton “Wolverine” Kuivanen (16-5) made his UFC debut on the prelim card of last nights UFC on Fuel Sanchez vs Ellenberger show. While Kuivanen dropped a hard fought decision to American prospect Justin Salas, there were still more positives than negatives in this performance. Here are five things to like about Anton Kuivanen’s performance in his UFC debut.
1. Pressing the Action:
On the feet Kuivanen pressed the action from bell to bell by constantly moving forward and controling the centre of the Octagon.
2. Full Gas Tank:
Explosive Kuivanen has had cardio issues in some of his past fights but against Salas he maintained good movement and activity through all three rounds.
3. Versatile Skills:
Slick heel hook attempt and tricky sweep on the ground were good showings by Kuivanen who is primarily known for his striking. Even though Salas took Kuivanen down in every round, Kuivanen was also able defend of many takedown attempts by Salas, a two time D1 All American wrestler.
4. No Octagon Jitters:
While Kuivanen didn’t performed at his best, he did fight like a veteran fighter looking composed and relaxed right from the start.
5. Good Performance with Non-Ideal Preparation:
When you consider the following things that might have affected Kuivanen’s performance: just five weeks to get ready for the fight, opponent changed from a Muay Thai striker to D1 wrestler, training camp was set up in a hurry, long flights with weight cutting, time difference etc, it is easy to say that the preparation for this fight was less than ideal. It is also reasonable to assume that we will see a much improved Anton Kuivanen in his next UFC fight when he comes to fight from a proper 10-12 week training camp.
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