Bantamweight, Elijah Smith (6-1) Vs. Aaron Tau (8-0)
Notable Notes
- Smith is taking this fight on short notice.
- Tau is a former XFC bantamweight champion.
- Smith’s only loss comes to Contender Series alum Reyes Cortez.
- Tau has fought six opponents with a losing or .500 record.
- Smith is gonna be six-inches taller as Tau is a natural 125er.
Elijah Smith
Pros
- Athletic
- Fast hands
- Explosive
- Credible wrestling
- Quick
- Hits hard
- Good TDD
Cons
- Shoots from too far out
- Can be too patient
Aaron Tau
Pros
- Good step-in knees
- Power hooks
- Good pocket striker
- Good wrestling
- Heavy ground and pound
- Physically strong
Cons
- Flat-footed
- Hands too wide
- Hands too low
Boxing: Smith
Kickboxing: Smith
Speed: Smith
Output/Volume: Smith
Footwork/Movement: Smith
Striking defense: Smith
Wrestling: Tau
Grappling: Even
Gas tank: Smith
Prediction: Tau may have more hype between the two because of his look and training with City Kickboxing. Tau still holds an undefeated record but hasn’t fought the guys Smith has. Smith does have a bad loss to DWCS alum Reyes Cortez. He does have good wins over Josh Walker, Robert Trujillo, and Christian Strong. The best win Tau has is Paul Loga who is 10-8 now. Smith is taking this fight on short notice though but was training for a fight in November anyway.
I don’t see it with Tau personally. His height and reach aren’t recorded but it’s evident he should be at 125 instead. His lack of footwork and speed doesn’t help the fact at all. That’s a big problem in this matchup because if anything stands out the most with Smith it’s his speed. Tau doesn’t have the proper footwork to get on the inside so he’s gonna have trouble finding his range. Smith has been knocked out before but I don’t see it happening here. Tau is just limited and has to make this fight ugly to win. As long as Smith fights smart and uses his speed and athleticism he should take this. I got Smith by first-round knockout and I’m 90% confident.
