Flyweight: Clayton Carpenter Vs. Edgar Chairez
Tale of the tape
26-years-old
5’5″
Glendale, Arizona, US
MMA Lab
5-0
2 KO/TKOs, 2 Submissions
Combined opponent’s record:10-8
26-years-old
5’7″
Baja California, Mexico
Entram Gym
8-3
4 KO/TKOs, 4 Submissions
Combined opponent’s record: 31-16-1
Pros and Cons
Clayton Carpenter
Pros
- Strong wrestling
- Excellent ground and pound
- Powerful compact striker
- Good feints
- Explosive
- Starts strong
- Throws in combinations
- Mixes in kicks and punches
- Slick jiu-jitsu
- Heavy leg kicks
Cons
- Hands drop as the fight goes
- Suspect gas tank
Edgar Chairez
Pros
- Dangerous knees
- Submission threat
- Good clinch work
- Good calf kicks
- Good straight punches
- Fights long well
- Good in flurries
- Good kicks
- Covers distance well
- Good off his back
- Solid get-up ability
Cons
- Poor TDD
- Slows as the fight goes
- Hands low
Who has the advantage?
Striking: Carpenter
Speed: Even
Output/Volume: Carpenter
Kickboxing: Chairez
Striking defense: Carpenter
Footwork/movement: Carpenter
Wrestling: Carpenter
Grappling: Even
More likely to finish on the mat: Carpenter
Gas tank: Even
Prediction: I love the replacement for Steve Erceg, who Carpenter was supposed to face, and I actually think Chairez is a tougher fight for Carpenter now.
In Ecreg, Carpenter had a big advantage on the feet but Chairez is a scrapper. Chairez has that Mexican brawling style; he’s a scrapper on the feet and has some dangerous grappling.
Carpenter will be able to take this fight down at will but he will have more trouble holding his opponent down. I do believe Carpenter is the better grappler and if Chairez can’t stop from getting taken down he will eventually get caught in a sub.
This fight is going to be intriguing as long as the fight is on the feet. Carpenter fights better with the basics, being the feints, combos, and power. If he doesn’t press forward Chairez could chew him up from space with long punches and leg kicks. I’m predicting it to be a high-paced fight with Carpenter getting his hand raised. I like Carpenter to press forward, use combinations to close the distance, to get takedowns. Eventually, I expect Carpenter to finish Chairez with ground and pound. Chairez I like though and I think he would bring a lot of fun to the UFC— but the pick is Carpenter.
