Featherweights
Isaac Dulgarian (6-1, 1-1 UFC) vs. Brendon Marotte (8-2, 0-1 UFC)Dulgarian has an extremely high ceiling but is badly in need of experience, so it’s nice to see “The Midwest Choppa” back in action. Dulgarian was signed by the UFC less than a year into his professional career, but he looked good enough that it was hard to argue with the pickup. A former standout wrestler, Dulgarian combined those skills with some impressive striking and grappling ability to maul each of his opponents within three minutes. It took Dulgarian nearly a year and a half to make his UFC debut after being signed, but it was worth the wait. Francis Marshall figured to be a solid test, but he was yet another foe that Dulgarian ran through in less than a round. It wasn’t until Dulgarian’s March bout against Christian Rodriguez that he was finally tested, and the split decision loss was a tale of two fights. He looked as electric as ever for about a round and a half, but once Rodriguez survived into the third round, Dulgarian was absolutely exhausted and accomplished little down the stretch. Dulgarian could be something special once he learns to pace himself, so it will be interesting to see what he brings against what’s essentially a blank slate in Marotte.
Marotte was a question mark heading into his late-notice UFC debut in 2023. There wasn’t much footage available of the New Englander after a three-year layoff that started in 2020, and those older fights showed him to be a willing scrapper who looked to be out of his depth at the UFC level. One fight in, it’s hard to say much has changed, as hot starter Terrance McKinney knocked Marotte out in seconds. Marotte cuts down to featherweight in this outing, which could unlock something athletically. However, this does look to be set up as a Dulgarian showcase, with Marotte matched against another opponent who will immediately take the initiative. The pick is Dulgarian via first-round submission.
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Dulgarian vs. Marotte
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