Lightweights
Sam Patterson (10-1-1, 0-0 UFC) vs. Yanal Ashmoz (6-0, 0-0 UFC)A contract winner on Dana White’s Contender Series in September, England’s Patterson cuts an interesting figure as a 6-foot-3 lightweight, and he has put together an impressive record to date. Beyond fighting a solid slate of competition, he has been able to finish opponents via both knockout and submission. Getting to those wins can be a bit of an adventure, however. Patterson’s length obviously comes with the drawback of a reedy frame, and he can struggle to control his opponents at times, particularly when he looks to focus on his grappling, which appears to be the best part of his game. Patterson figures to hit a ceiling at some point, but so far so good; and the UFC has not given him a particularly rough start here, as he gets paired up with a fellow UFC newcomer. Ashmoz’s six-fight career is a bit spotty—“Red Fox” fought three times in 2017 and then did not return until 2021—but the Israeli looks like a well-rounded enough fighter, with his best performances involving a solid amount of wrestling. Ashmoz figures to be the stronger fighter, but he is not an overwhelming force, so while Patterson’s approach does feel a bit low-percentage, he has enough of a resume to suggest that he should be able to find something effective over the course of 15 minutes. The pick is Patterson via second-round submission.
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