DWCS 2020 Week 6 Breakdown and Predictions

Phil Hawes vs. Michael Wilcox Credit: Bellator MMA

Middleweight: Phil Hawes vs. Khadzhimurat Bestaev

Tale of the Tape

Phil Hawes
31-years-old
6’0″
Sanford MMA
Little Ferry, New Jersey, US
7-2
Khadzhimurat Bestaev
32-years-old
6’6″
American Kickboxing Academy
California
10-3

Pros and Cons

Phil Hawes

Pros

  • Very athletic
  • Excellent wrestling
  • Good leg kicks
  • Power in his hands
  • Excellent ground and pound
  • Big overhand right
  • Good jab
  • Fast starter

Cons

  • Questionable striking defense
  • Cardio drains after round one

Khadzhimurat Bestaev

Pros

  • Fast starter
  • Good knees
  • Dangerous guillotine

Cons

  • Poor TDD
  • Lost off his back
  • Holds hands low
  • Poor cardio

Who has the advantage?

Striking: Hawes
Speed: Hawes
Output/Volume: Hawes
Knockout Power: Hawes
Chin: Even/Unknown
Kickboxing: Hawes
Footwork: Hawes
Wrestling: Hawes
Grappling: Hawes
Submissions: Bestaev
Cardio: Hawes

Prediction

This fight is tailor-made for Jackson-Wink MMA product Phil Hawes. Bestaev has nine of his ten finishes inside the first round. While that looks good on paper, the opponents he has beaten are 15-22 combined and four of those guys were 0-0 at the time.

While Phil Hawes hasn’t beaten any names you’ll recognize, at least he’s losing to opponents like Andrew Sanchez, Louis Taylor, and Julian Marquez. Names you probably will recognize, quite frankly. Although Hawes still has questionable cardio and gets hit a bit too much he’s just better in every aspect here. Hawes is also relatively competitive in his losses, while Bestaev seems to just crumble under any adversity. Hawes should roll here.