UFC Fight Night: Evloev vs Murphy • Heavyweight (265 lbs) • 3 Rounds
March 21, 2026
Sutherland
10-4-0
Pericic
5-1-0
Statistical Comparison
Sig. Strikes Per Minute
Pericic has explosive volume, over 6 significant strikes per minute on debut
Striking Accuracy (%)
Pericic lands with more precision, a product of his professional kickboxing background
Strikes Absorbed/Min
Pericic absorbs far fewer shots, finished fast without giving opponents time to react
Strike Defense (%)
Sutherland has below-average defense, was submitted by heel hook on his UFC debut
Takedowns Per 15 Min
Sutherland attempts more takedowns, could be his path to victory
Takedown Accuracy (%)
Takedown Defense (%)
Pericic trains with Israel Adesanya and the elite City Kickboxing team
Sutherland leads in 2 categories · Pericic leads in 5
Tale of the Tape
Very close in age, both in their 30s
Pericic has a 5cm advantage
Pericic has 5cm more reach
Pericic trains with Adesanya and Volk
Fight History
Submitted by heel hook in just 1:24 of the first round at UFC 321. Disastrous UFC debut.
Sub R1 (heel hook, 1:24)Won the Levels Fight League 18 title with a first-round knockout.
TKO R1 (punches)First-round knockout at Levels Fight League 16, stacking wins on the regional circuit.
TKO R1 (punches)Points win at Levels Fight League 15, showed patience in a longer fight.
Unanimous DecisionDominated for 3 rounds at Bellator Champions Series in Paris against a French wrestler.
Unanimous Decision (30-27 x3)Explosive UFC debut in Perth. Dropped and finished with ground-and-pound in under 2 minutes. Performance of the Night.
TKO R1 (1:55)Explosive finish at SFL 1, dropped and finished with ground and pound in just over 1 minute.
TKO R1 (ground and pound, 1:08)Knockout in just 17 seconds at HEX Fight Series 30. Lightning finish.
TKO R1 (punches, 0:17)Only career loss. Submitted by rear-naked choke in the second round at Shuriken Fight Series.
Sub R2 (RNC, 1:36)Rear-naked choke submission in the first round at Diamondback FC.
Sub R1 (RNC, 3:26)Skills Profile
Stand-up Striking
PericicPericic is 18-2 in professional kickboxing with multiple titles. Striking is his primary weapon and he's on another technical level.
Knockout Power
PericicPericic has 80% wins by KO/TKO. Sutherland also has power but is less consistent.
Wrestling & Grappling
EvenBoth are primarily strikers. Neither has high-level wrestling, but Sutherland attempts more takedowns.
Overall Defense
PericicSutherland was submitted by heel hook on debut and dominated by decision at Bellator. Pericic trains with CKB elite and absorbs fewer strikes.
Cardio & Pace
PericicAs heavyweights, both prefer to finish early. Pericic has never gone past R1 in his wins.
Octagon Experience
SutherlandSutherland has 1 UFC fight (0W-1L), Pericic has 1 KO win. Both are octagon rookies.
Pericic is technically superior in striking with a professional kickboxing background and training at the elite City Kickboxing gym. Sutherland has power but is defensively inconsistent. This fight probably won't go to the scorecards.
Win Distribution
KO/TKO
Submission
Decision
Two knockout artists in the UFC's heaviest division. Sutherland has 80% KOs and Pericic an impressive 80% with zero decision wins. Pericic has never needed the judges to win. This fight has everything to end before the final bell.
Final Prediction
Vencedor Previsto
Pericic
KO/TKO R1|Confidence MEDIUM
Brando Pericic has a clear technical striking advantage with a professional kickboxing background (18-2) and training at City Kickboxing with Israel Adesanya. Sutherland has power but is defensively vulnerable, having been dominated at Bellator and submitted by heel hook on his UFC debut. Pericic is taller, has more reach, and trains with a world-class team. Sutherland's only chance is to land a clean shot riding the home crowd energy, but Pericic should be too technical to allow that.
X-Factor
City Kickboxing training
Pericic trains daily with former champions like Adesanya and Volkanovski. That level of sparring prepares you for any opponent, especially against a less technical striker like Sutherland.
Upset Alert
Sutherland at home with the crowd
Sutherland fights in England with the O2 Arena behind him. He has real power and as a heavyweight, one punch can change everything. If he connects early before Pericic finds his rhythm, he could surprise.
UFC NEWS HUB - Preliminary Analysis
Sutherland vs Pericic | UFC Fight Night: Evloev vs Murphy | Heavyweight (265 lbs)