Preview: UFC Fight Night 174 ‘Lewis vs. Oleynik’ Prelims

Gavin Tucker gets it done in front of the Canadian faithful #UFC240 pic.twitter.com/LobsUfaJNu

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) July 28, 2019

Featherweights

Gavin Tucker (11-1) vs. Justin Jaynes (16-4)

ODDS: Tucker (-150), Jaynes (+130)

This should be an interesting fight, if only because it is difficult to tell where each of these featherweights are in their development. Canada’s Tucker faced a weak slate of competition to make it to the UFC, but hopes were high after he had an impressive debut performance against Sam Sicilia in 2017. Unfortunately, his follow-up effort nearly turned tragic, as he gassed himself out early against Rick Glenn, at which point the referee allowed a beating that went minutes too long. Tucker returned two years later for a win over Seung Woo Choi that at the very least showed he was now willing to take the path of least resistance. Choi is not much of a wrestler, so Tucker followed a surprisingly grappling-heavy game plan that got him a one-sided win. He will take on Jaynes, who is still a bit of a mystery man. Jaynes rode a string of quick knockouts to the UFC and stepped in on late notice to blitz Frank Camacho for a 41-second finish in June. He definitely has some knockout power, but everything past that is a question mark. Tucker could just grind this out again, but outwrestling Choi was a low bar, and if forced to strike for any extended length of time, the Canadian has shown a willingness to tire himself out. If nothing else, Jaynes has shown an ability to take advantage of an opportunity in violent fashion. This is a coinflip, but the pick is Jaynes via third-round stoppage.

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