Preview: UFC 292 Prelims

‘The Ultimate Fighter 31’ Bantamweight Final

Brad Katona (12-2, 2-2 UFC) vs. Cody Gibson (19-8, 1-3 UFC)

ODDS: N/A

Katona looks to become the first two-time winner of “The Ultimate Fighter” here, and if nothing else, “Superman” has proven himself worthy of another shot in the UFC. Katona won Season 27 of the reality series back in 2018 and had the type of unspectacularly well-rounded game that figured to keep him on the UFC roster for years to come, particularly with the promotion regularly heading up to his native Canada. However, after an understandable loss to Merab Dvalishvili and a narrow defeat against Hunter Azure, Katona was surprisingly cut shortly over a year after his debut. Katona has done well on the regional scene since then, and while he was a beneficiary of the machinations of teammate Conor McGregor in terms of making it onto “The Ultimate Fighter,” he has done well with the opportunity, earning an impressive win over season favorite Timur Valiev to earn his spot in the final. Gibson is a blast from the past, making his UFC return after eight and a half years, as his first four-fight UFC run ended exactly a year after his 2014 debut. Gibson was a well-regarded prospect at the time but ran into some bad luck in terms of matchmaking and results. He made his debut against current bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling, suffered a sudden come-from-behind defeat to Manvel Gamburyan and left the UFC on a loss to eventual mainstay Douglas Silva de Andrade. However, Gibson has quietly kept up his career in the years since and has a complete game at 35 years old. He is big for the division, can still fight behind a solid wrestling game and has some knockout power. This looks like it will turn into a grind, which could go either way. Gibson has the size and dynamism advantages, but Katona’s durability has been a clear asset throughout his career; and he looks to be unbreakable in terms of cardio. The younger man gets the nod. The pick is Katona via decision.

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