Performance Spotlight: UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Hill (Part 2)
In Part 1, we looked at Anthony Hernandez’s win over Edmen Shahbazyan. You can read the article here.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MAY 20: (L-R) Viacheslav Borshchev of Russia punches Maheshate of China in a lightweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on May 20, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
“Slava Claus” Borshchev: Fundamentals and Adjustments
“Slava Claus” was in a hard spot going into this fight. The former professional kickboxer (who also had two pro boxing bouts to his name) was riding a two fight losing streak after struggling to keep the fight on the feet against Marc Diakiese and Mike Davis, losing here could mean getting cut for the Contender Series and LFA alum.
A lot of people probably considered that the matchmaking was finally giving him a break here, matching him up with Maheshate, a fellow striker with a similar level of experience but one that doesn’t come without danger. The Chinese fighter is huge for the division and has big power in his right hand. Standing at a legit 5’11, Borshchev is usually the taller fighter inside the cage at 155, but here he had to deal with a bigger foe who could match him in power.
“Slava” has never been much of a jabber, he’s better known for his devastating left hook (some examples here). He usually relies in slipping shots with his guard up to get his range, but he came well prepared to deal with the length of his opponent without straying from his style.
Right off the bat, he was looking to establish distance and score at long range with his inside leg kick. Maybe he didn’t feel comfortable jabbing out of the gate against someone rangy with a big right hand, but he got a lot of job done with the inside leg kick, something a lot of MMA fighters try to do, but few accomplish.
On the topic of kicking, there was also a healthy dose of outside roundhouses. These not only allowed the Russian to strike at range with more power, but he also used them effectively on the counter and to punish the Chinese fighter when trying to circle his way out of exchanges.
While establishing a jab at distance was not something Borshchev was looking to do at the beginning of the fight (or something he’s particularly good at), he was using his jabber to counter Maheshate’s own jab, and to re-establish distance in the pocket, and this is one thing that a lot of jab-averse pocket fighters should learn how to do.
All these tools worked in tandem to get “Slava” to his wheelhouse: landing the left hook - both to the body and head, doubling with it and even attacking both levels in the same combination.
It was not all smooth sailing for the California-based Russian though. An unfortunate eyepoke seemingly compromised the vision of his left eye (his “lead” eye"), and that apparently affected his ability to correctly gauge distance at times. The adjustment? if you can’t tell with your eyes how close the enemy is, grab a hold of him to make sure. Borshchev started grabbing collar ties off hooks to land with power in the pocket to devastating effect.
The end of the fight came as a hurt Maheshate, concerned with the left hook, was surprised by a leaping 2-3 combo by the Russian which served to put the finishing touches on an impressive performance.