Featherweights
Francis Marshall (7-1, 1-1 UFC) vs. Isaac Dulgarian (5-0, 0-0 UFC)Roughly a year and a half after signing with the UFC, Dulgarian makes his long-awaited debut with the promotion, and it will be interesting to see what he brings to the table. Undefeated in five pro fights, Dulgarian has ended all of his bouts within three minutes and looked quite impressive in doing so, almost immediately taking most of his opponents to the mat and showing off a variety of offensive options. That success comes with its own set of questions, given that Dulgarian’s competition has not been of a particularly high caliber. This fight against Marshall is quite the litmus test to see where “The Midwest Choppa” stands going forward. At 24 years old, Marshall is looking to rebound from the first setback of his career, but he still has a high ceiling. He came to the UFC as an impressively poised prospect given his youth, fighting with a well-practiced, pressure-heavy style that should serve him well as he continues to add experience. There still is not much defense built into Marshall’s game, as he favors offensive pace and output over all else. That was an issue in his April loss to William Gomis, particularly early on, but Marshall did at least gain steam as the fight went on and he learned what his opponent brought to the table. Marshall is a solid wrestler, but it seems nearly guaranteed that Dulgarian will get him to the ground in short order. From there, it is anyone’s guess as to how the fight goes, as Dulgarian looks quite potent but also has not faced anyone as solid as Marshall, flawed as the latter may be. Marshall looks like a prospect that will stick, so he gets the benefit of the doubt that he can outlast Dulgarian and turn things around. With that said, this is essentially a coinflip. The pick is Marshall via decision.
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