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Special to ESPN.com- Reed Kuhn is a Silicon Valley entrepreneur, and strategy and analytics consultant. He is the author of "Fightnomics: The Hidden Numbers and Science in Mixed Martial Arts," the first book to quantify drivers and performance metrics in combat sports.
It's rare to see a title fight featuring over 80 combined years of age, but Jan Blachowicz (38) and Glover Teixeira (42) have earned their positions by besting a string of young, elite talent. And while each has had success as a two-level fighter in the past, in this matchup there will be an underlying striker versus grappler dynamic.
Prelims start at 10:30 a.m. ET on ESPN+ and the main card begins at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Odds are courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook.
Light heavyweight title fight: Champ Jan Blachowicz (-280) vs. Glover Teixeira (+230)
Blachowicz will command advantages in striking pace, accuracy, defense and power. Meanwhile, Teixeira is the older and more damaged of the two. That's a lot of advantages for the defending champ as long it's on the feet. But on the ground, few big men have looked as relentless as Teixeira holding down opponents, transitioning positions and using scrambles to reverse the course of a fight.