Kyle Anthony

THE PLAY: Miles Johns -155

This is a short notice bout for both men after they were added to the card late in the process. That introduces extra variables into the equation yet still favors the more seasoned fighter overall. Miles Johns stands out as a solid wrestler who brings early explosiveness along with real power in his hands and in slamming takedowns. In early rounds he does well bouncing in and out of range while letting his hands and tucking takedowns behind combinations. His UFC record sits at 6-5 and consistency has definitely eluded him. After back-to-back wins he has dropped three straight. While Jessie Rosas is the older brother of UFC fighter Raul Rosas Jr. which likely played a role in how he reached the promotion quickly. From the available footage he shows serviceable striking paired with a solid ground game. The biggest gap between them lies in experience as Rosas has been facing bottom-tier opposition outside the UFC. The records of his last four opponents read 5-6, 9-17, 23-11 and 3-5. Three of those four do not even hold winning records on the regional circuit. Johns may have lost three in a row but those defeats came against Daniel Marcos, Jean Matsumoto and Felipe Lima. Any of those three would mop the floor Rosas. The primary path for Jessie involves getting the fight to the mat yet that looks unlikely against Johns. Miles owns the superior wrestling credentials and should be able to dictate the pace of the fight. He can defend takedowns while answering with heavy strikes that keep Rosas on the back foot and make entries far harder. Once the fight hits the floor Johns will find plenty of success working from top position and banking rounds. This marks a big step up in competition for Rosas while representing a step down for Johns relative to recent opposition. Rosas arrives on short notice for his UFC debut against the toughest opponent of his career. All of that points to Miles Johns securing the victory in a vet lesson.