Welterweight, Meng Ding (34-8) vs. Rami Hamed (12-3)
Notable Notes
- Hamed was supposed to fight on DWCS last season against Raimond Magomedaliev.
- Although they both started fighting in 2015 Ding has fought twenty-seven more times.
- Ding has fought Kuerbanjiang Tuluosibake five times and went 2-3 against him.
- Ding has a notable win against Road to UFC alum and excellent prospect Taiyilake Nueraji.
- Although Ding has way more MMA experience Hamed is four years older. Hamed is 33.
- Ding recently won the JCK welterweight title.
- Hamed trains out of the predominant camp at MMA Masters.
- Hamed’s three losses all come by submission.
- Ding has more wins by KO/TKO (27) than Hamed has pro fights (15).
- Ding has been finished six times.
- Neither had amateur experience.
Pros and Cons
Meng Ding
Pros
- Uses feints well
- Good knees
- Good clinchwork
- Solid kickboxing
- Heavy ground and pound
Cons
- Submission defense
Rami Hamed
Pros
- Excellent bodywork
- Good footwork
- Good kickboxing
- Deceptive power
- Chopping leg kicks
- Covers distance well
Cons
- TDD needs work
- Hands low
- Grappling defense lacks
- Submission defense
Prediction: Hamed is taking this fight on short notice. He hasn’t fought in almost two years but he was offered a fight last season on the Contender Series only for an injury to force him out. I’ve been back and forth on Hamed his entire career but he is on a good run. It doesn’t help that he’s been on a run against garbage truck drivers however. Ding is the same with his level of competition. Although Ding has looked awesome at times it’s not a good look when you have eight losses on the Chinese regional scene.
This has the potential of being a very fun fight between two dangerous strikers. Both guys like to fight on the outside and use a lot of kicks. In a pure striking fight, I value the defense and power of Ding. With the way Hamed holds his hands low, that’s not a good idea against Ding.
In a pure striking fight, I like Ding because of the power, defense, and speed. Ding is also a better kickboxer and that’s where Hamed is best. I’m taking Ding by KO in the second round and I’m 65% confident.
