Heavyweights
Jamal Pogues (9-3, 0-0 UFC) vs. Josh Parisian (15-5, 2-2 UFC)Given his journey to get here, it would be nice to see Parisian put together some momentum in the UFC. Parisian stepped in on late notice for a spot on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2018 and figured to have earned a contract with a quick knockout via spinning backfist. Instead, Parisian was put on the cast for the next season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” where he lost his first bout. From there, Parisian plugged his way through the regional scene for two years before finally getting a contract via DWCS in 2020, and his UFC career thus far has been a mixed bag. Parisian is a large man with a game that can be creative but never particularly deep, so if he cannot find a knockout, things usually tend to devolve into a slog where he needs to outwrestle his opponent to make much headway. That has been a dicey proposition, but Parisian has managed to alternate wins and losses through four UFC bouts, most recently pounding out Alan Baudot for a win on the ground in June. A subsequent pairing against Chase Sherman was scrapped due to some career-threatening medical issues on Parisian’s side, but apparently all is well as he looks for the first winning streak of his UFC career against Pogues. Another two-time DWCS alum, Pogues was a bit of a surprising signing in August. He is a young heavyweight prospect with some potential, but his win was the result of a flat performance where he showed some decent boxing but also got his legs kicked apart for the better part of 15 minutes. Pogues’ rough life story likely played a factor in his getting a deal, and again, he certainly has some talent. However, his frame and his game seem much better-suited to light heavyweight, where Pogues has proven to be a bully as opposed to his dicier performances at heavyweight. He could still wrestle his way to a win in this assignment, but in a fight that figures to involve a lot of smothering, Parisian looks like both the stronger physical force and the fighter more willing to make something happen. The pick is Parisian via ugly decision.
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Andrade vs. Blanchfield
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Pogues vs. Parisian
Knight vs. Prachnio
Hernandez vs. Miller
The Prelims