Middleweights
Josh Fremd (9-3, 0-1 UFC) vs. Tresean Gore (3-2, 0-2 UFC)Gore still has some considerable potential, but he needs to quickly turn that into some positive results. Gore was one of the standouts of “The Ultimate Fighter” revival in 2021, until an injury took him out of the finale. “Mr. Vicious” was still obviously raw as just a three-fight vet but showed off an impressive level of physicality and knockout power. However, Gore’s two UFC bouts thus far have been disheartening. First came what was essentially a make-good against Bryan Battle, the eventual winner of Gore’s season on “The Ultimate Fighter.” Gore had his moments but mostly looked gun-shy and uncomfortable in losing a clear decision. Gore seemed to correct that a bit in a higher-paced affair against Cody Brundage in July. However, the end result of that was Brundage catching Gore for a knockout in a shade under four minutes. Gore should wind up fine with a few more years of experience, but in the here and now, he may be in a bit over his head on the UFC roster unless he shows another leap forward. Fremd is a fairly seasoned prospect who was on the fringes of a UFC call-up for a bit prior to his debut in April, when he got to show off a general idea of his game in a back-and-forth war against Anthony Hernandez. A particularly tall middleweight, Fremd is all about aggression over defense, with a particular emphasis on taking things to the mat. There is certainly a chance that he gets immediately obliterated by Gore—a quick 2021 knockout loss to Gregory Rodrigues shows that his chin is not unbreakable—but if this goes any length of time, Fremd’s sheer persistence and willingness to hunt takedowns should eventually be enough to overwhelm his still-green counterpart. The pick is Fremd via third-round stoppage.
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Kattar vs. Allen
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