Preview: UFC Fight Night 202 ‘Makhachev vs. Green’

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Middleweights

NR | Misha Cirkunov (15-7, 6-5 UFC) vs. NR | Wellington Turman (17-5, 2-3 UFC)

ODDS: Cirkunov (-125), Turman (+105)

A move down to middleweight turned out not to be a cure-all for Cirkunov, but perhaps he can find some momentum in his new division. Born in Latvia and representing Canada, Cirkunov came to the UFC as a top light heavyweight prospect and as the next big hope for his adopted country, and he certainly lived up to the hype through his first four UFC assignments. Coming from a background in judo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and wrestling, Cirkunov proved to be a terror on the mat and finished all four of his opponents without much issue. After a brief contractual spat, Cirkunov was expected to run through Volkan Oezdemir and realize his destiny as a top contender, but he instead suffered a 28-second knockout loss that turned out to be an omen of things to come. Cirkunov has obviously put in the work to be a much more well-rounded fighter, particularly on the feet, but the rest of his light heavyweight career showed a worrying tendency towards getting sparked. Cirkunov recorded his share of wins, but Oezdemir, Glover Teixeira, Johnny Walker and Ryan Spann all finished him within minutes. Then came his move down to 185 pounds for an October bout with Krzysztof Jotko, which was a mixed bag. Cirkunov did not get knocked out, which was a huge plus, but he was not an overwhelming grappler in what turned out to be an ugly fight and a split decision loss. Cirkunov looks to rebound against Turman, who is looking to build on a much-needed win over Sam Alvey in August. Turman is still somehow just 25 years old, so there is plenty of room for him to improve, but it has been rough go for the Brazilian in the UFC thus far. He has been at his best as a smothering wrestler and clinch artist and has typically become extremely uncomfortable as soon as a fight does not go his way. Alvey proved to be enough of a blank slate that Turman was able to coast to a clear decision win, even after multiple eye pokes cost him some points on the scorecards. Turman could catch Cirkunov early and has enough power to score a quick finish, but otherwise, this is a particularly rough matchup for him. Why? His typical course of action will lead him right into the best parts of Cirkunov’s game. The pick is Cirkunov via second-round submission.

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