Preview: UFC Fight Night 234 Prelims

Bantamweights

Marcus McGhee (8-1, 2-0 UFC) vs. Gaston Bolanos (7-3, 1-0 UFC)

ODDS: McGhee (-278), Bolanos (+225)

This should be a fun bit of business. McGhee has hit the ground running after making his UFC debut on three days’ notice in April. “The Maniac” is a fairly committed pressure fighter with durability and finishing ability, and he has scored one-sided wins over Journey Newson and J.P. Buys in his two trips to the Octagon thus far. It will be interesting to see where he lands in terms of his ceiling in a deep bantamweight division. He is a bit on the older side for a prospect, owing to a long amateur career, but he is fairly fresh as a professional and does seem to be a natural, given his ability to land on successful ideas over the course of his fights. Bolanos is a solid next challenge, and the Peruvian is looking to answer some questions of his own after a UFC debut that was a bit rougher than expected.

A kickboxer turned Bellator MMA mainstay, Bolanos was an interesting enough flier for the UFC to take when it signed him in 2023. His wrestling and grappling were clear works in progress, but he figured to at least bring excitement to the cage every time out. That made his April showing against Aaron Phillips a mixed bag. Bolanos looked a bit better than expected on the mat, but the overall result was an ugly decision win in a fight that looked like a walkover victory for him on paper. McGhee might need some time to track Bolanos down and could walk into a knockout in the process, but he should be able to find a takedown or two at some point and end this on the mat. The pick is McGhee via second-round submission.

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