Cody Garbrandt vs Xiao Long - AI generated fight pick

Cody Garbrandt, despite being older (33 vs 27), has significant knockout power with 11 KO wins and 8 first-round finishes, which is a notable edge over Xiao Long's 5 KO wins. Garbrandt's defensive metrics are superior: his significant strike defense is 60% compared to Long's 50%, and his takedown defense is 84% versus Long's 80%. While Long has a reach advantage (70" arm reach vs 65.5" for Garbrandt), Garbrandt's experience against higher-level competition and his ability to finish fights early are key factors. Historically, fighters with Garbrandt's finishing ability and defensive stats at bantamweight have outperformed younger, volume-based strikers like Long, especially when the more experienced fighter has a high takedown defense. Garbrandt's recent form is mixed, but his skillset and history against elite opposition give him the edge in this stylistic matchup.