Preview: UFC Fight Night 198 Prelims

Lightweights

NR | Fares Ziam (12-3, 2-1 UFC) vs. NR | Terrance McKinney (11-3, 1-0 UFC)

ODDS: Ziam (-120), McKinney (+100)

McKinney’s UFC debut sure went well. He took the late-notice UFC call in June and had certainly earned it, as he was coming off of three wins that lasted less than two minutes combined. However, one look at McKinney’s film shows a clear pattern. While “T. Wrecks” is both a powerful striker and a talented grappler, he completely dumps his gas tank in the hopes of scoring an early finish. He is about as wildly exciting as any fighter on the UFC roster, and for at least one fight inside of the Octagon, McKinney’s usual gamble paid off. He knocked out Matt Frevola in just seven seconds, suffering more damage in his post-fight celebration than he did in the bout itself. It was the type of electric performance that, when combined with McKinney’s pre-UFC resume, figured to set him up for some big things. As such, it is something of a surprise to see him on the prelims against Ziam. France’s Ziam has done better than expected in the UFC thus far, though he is still a bit hard to peg in terms of exactly where he stands in the lightweight pecking order. A rangy striker by default, Ziam mostly depends on his opponents to stay cautious and allow him to set the terms of the bout. Don Madge stifled Ziam in the clinch without much effort, but the “Smile Killer” has won his last two bouts, though both resulted in narrow decisions that could have easily gone against him had his opponents been more consistent in their aggression. That certainly will not be an issue for McKinney and his reckless approach. If Ziam manages to survive the American’s early onslaught—an open question—he could wind up winning the back half of this fight against a tired opponent. Honestly, even if McKinney does wind up exhausting himself instead of getting a finish, he may still be able to coast his way to a decision win. Ziam does not have the type of one-punch power to nullify the early lead McKinney figures to build, and McKinney may still have his wrestling in his back pocket even in the later rounds. The call is that it does not even get that far. McKinney via first-round submission is the pick.

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