Preview: UFC Fight Night 178 Prelims

Bantamweights

Tyson Nam (19-11-1) vs. Jerome Rivera (10-2)

ODDS: Nam (-165), Rivera (+145)

Nam was supposed to fight a week ago, but after it was scrapped, this became a fun last-minute addition to this card. When Nam got the UFC call late last year, it was a pleasant surprise. He had been on the verge of signing with the UFC years ago, but it appeared the opportunity had long since passed. Nam has an interesting fighting style, since it is far from the usual for a flyweight. The Hawaiian is a patient counterstriker who waits for the perfect opportunity to hit his opponent hard. At 125 pounds, that results in some thin margins. Knockouts are difficult to come by at flyweight, and Nam’s approach means he is likely to concede rounds based on volume and aggression. Nam will take on an Octagon newcomer in Rivera, who fought on the first week of the current season of Dana White’s Contender Series. Despite being the only winner who failed to earn a contract, Rivera still manages to be the first one of the four to make it into the UFC thanks to this late-notice opportunity. Rivera has some interesting skills, particularly some grappling and submission ability that could make things interesting, but he is also defensively open on the feet, enough so that Nam should be able to crack him given any length of time. The pick is Nam via second-round knockout.

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