Welterweights
Jake Matthews (14-4, -280) vs. Rostem Akman (6-1, +240): He is still only 25 years old, but six years into his UFC career, Matthews has yet to make the leap that some expected into a true Australian star. Matthews has always been a fascinating prospect when it comes to the UFC’s Australian expansion, given that he was signed so young, and while he has continued to round out his game, the results of his fights still tend to always fall back on his ability to take things to the mat and control his opponent. A move to welterweight has been promising, given that Matthews has seemingly added 15 pounds of pure muscle, but a December loss to Anthony Rocco Martin was a bit disheartening. “The Celtic Kid” will look to rebound here against Akman. The Swede looked solid in a late-notice debut in Stockholm in June, giving Sergey Khandozhko a bit of trouble with his pressure and striking power until the latter managed to adjust and take over the fight. This is certainly a fight that Matthews can lose. While he has had solid results when things go to the ground, he has looked to implement his wrestling less and less, so Akman could have some success in a kickboxing match if Matthews decides to take the wrong approach. Matthews should have his wrestling available as a failsafe and should at least have the awareness to fall back on it in an emergency. The pick is Matthews via decision.Advertisement
Welterweights
Maki Pitolo (11-4, -255) vs. Callan Potter (17-8, +215): When Potter got the call as a late replacement at UFC 234 in February, it was a nice career achievement for the longtime Australian vet. However, Potter got starched in short order by Devonte Smith, which was instructive for the struggles “The Rockstar” will probably face at this level of competition. Potter is a throwback to Australian fighters who came to the UFC a few years ago, particularly the unathletic wrestlers who were able to take over on the regional scene but were quickly forced to adapt or wash out of the promotion in short order. Potter looks to affirm his spot on the roster against a Dana White’s Contender Series alum in Pitolo, who fits the typical mold of a scrappy Hawaiian with some knockout power. There is a small chance that Potter can rely on his wrestling to some success -- despite the fact that Potter moves up from 155 pounds and Pitolo moves down from 185, both men are about the same size -- but the likeliest scenario is that Pitolo is too fast for the Aussie, causes some damage early and gets the finish before Potter can fully recover. The pick is Pitolo via first-round knockout.Lightweights
Brad Riddell (2-0, -150) vs. Jamie Mullarkey (8-2, +130): Australia meets New Zealand in this battle of lightweight newcomers. On the Kiwi side of the ledger sits Riddell. His combat career to date has mostly taken place in kickboxing, but a 2017 win over Kenan Song suggests he should at least be able to cause some damage at the UFC level. He will take on Sydney’s Mullarkey, who has more regional experience on the Australian scene and has shown a solid and well-rounded approach, even if there is nothing that stands out as being able to translate against better competition. There is not a ton of footage of Riddell available, so this is a bit of a shot in the dark, but he is built like a tank and his physicality seems destined to cause Mullarkey some major problems. The pick is Riddell via second-round knockout.Women’s Featherweights
Megan Anderson (9-4, -500) vs. Zarah Fairn dos Santos (6-2, 400): Anderson’s UFC career has not gone entirely as planned. It was known that Anderson was a raw prospect when the UFC picked her up as an immediate contender to Cristiane Justino, but facing better competition has blown open all of her flaws once again. Anderson is an impressive physical specimen thanks to her reach and power, but her style remains rather structureless and her grappling defense is a massive liability. Holly Holm is no wrestler, yet she managed to easily win Anderson’s UFC debut by repeatedly taking things to the mat. A win over Cat Zingano gave Anderson’s career some new life -- given that the UFC’s women’s featherweight division has less than half a dozen fighters, Anderson is never too far from a title shot -- but Felicia Spencer quickly took her down and tapped her out, leaving the Aussie with the same questions all over again. On the plus side, Fairn dos Santos looks willing to play Anderson’s game, as she is a kickboxer with little proclivity to take things to the mat. Fairn dos Santos is not terrible by any means and is slowly improving from fight to fight, but she is overmatched in a firefight here. If Anderson fails to win this one, then things are completely broken. The pick is Anderson via first-round knockout.Last Fights » ESPN+ Prelims
Related Articles
