Preview: UFC on ABC 6 Prelims

Welterweights

Rinat Fakhretdinov (21-1-1, 3-0-1 UFC) vs. Nicolas Dalby (23-4-1, 7-3-1 UFC)

ODDS: Fakhretdinov (-355), Dalby (+280)

This is an interesting matchup, even if it might not be all that fun in practice. Fakhretdinov was a fairly reliable finisher when the UFC picked him up in 2021, but the Russian started off his UFC career as a pure grinder, outwrestling Andreas Michailidis and Bryan Battle for some one-sided wins. A 55-second victory over Kevin Lee saw Fakhretdinov finally show some dynamism by nearly knocking out “The Motown Phenom” before clamping on a guillotine choke. However, Fakhretdinov’s November outing against Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos was a fight where “Gladiator” went back to the grind—up until the point that he tired badly and nearly got finished by ZDS, the fight ending in a draw. That makes for a fascinating dynamic against Dalby, whose recent career has been defined by his ability to outlast his opponents. Dalby has had an inspirational career revival since sliding out of the UFC in 2016, overcoming depression and alcohol issues to reinvent himself as a physical force. Dalby’s fights aren’t always the prettiest themselves, as he tends to find his most success pressuring and bullying opponents in the clinch, but he has proven capable of neutralizing and breaking opponents at a surprisingly high level, even earning the first finish of his UFC career against top prospect Gabriel Bonfim in November. This pairing has a fairly clear dynamic, with Fakhretdinov likely getting off to a hot start and Dalby taking the fight over late. The main questions involve exactly when that turning point comes or if Dalby can score a finish in that final frame. It’s a coinflip, but the call is that the Dane gets it done. The pick is Dalby via third-round stoppage.

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