Lightweights
Blake Cooper (2-0, 0-0 ONE) vs. Maurice Abevi (6-1, 0-1 ONE)The opening fight on the card is a curious battle between lightweight prospects, as the 27-year-old Cooper faces the 24-year-old Abevi at 170 pounds. In his two pro appearances thus far, Cooper has beaten opponents with a combined record of 0-3. Abevi has tested himself against solid opposition, with his lone loss coming in a decision against the undefeated Halil Amir. Even though it feels like Cooper is essentially being thrown to the wolves, we have seen fighters in his shoes score shocking wins before. The Hawaiian is certainly a skilled martial artist. While quite small for the weight class at only 5-foot-7, he has a powerful, well-thrown left hook from the southpaw stance, a nice double-leg and some ground skills, as he quickly locked in a rear-naked choke in his first pro debut. Abevi, meanwhile, is a grappling specialist with nice agility on the ground and some exotic submissions—he hit a calf slicer on Pedro Chequina Noso in a December 2021 victory on the European regional scene. The Swiss standout’s striking is more limited though serviceable and includes an effective right cross, a nice left hook to the body and a leg kick. His defense is quite porous and may provide Cooper with his big opportunity if he can land his left hand. Abevi is also huge at his weight class, being a muscular 6-foot. Abevi by submission is the pick.