Featherweights
Jack Jenkins (12-3, 2-1 UFC) vs. Herbert Burns (11-5, 2-3 UFC)UFC 305: Du Plessis vs. Adesanya Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now!
Jenkins is now on the comeback trail, and he remains one of the UFC’s more fascinating featherweight prospects. The Australian doesn’t stand out at first glance, but over time, it has become apparent that he has a strong mix of well-rounded skills and impressive durability, making for a solid jack of all trades with the bonus of being able to kick his opponents’ legs like a horse. That has made for a hard UFC career to parse thus far. He has looked good while never being particularly dominant and scored some solid wins, at least up until the point that an injury prematurely ended what had been an even fight against Jose Mariscal in 2023. After 11 months on the shelf, Jenkins makes his return in a tricky but winnable fight against Burns, who could badly use a victory at this point. Burns’ UFC career has been marred by injuries in recent years—this only marks the Brazilian’s third fight since 2020—and his campaign in general has cooled off after a hot start. That’s a fitting career arc given how Burns’ fights go. He has historically been absolutely electric in the early going of his fights as an aggressive finisher in all phases, but he tires badly by the second round. Jenkins tends to focus on his own offense while relying on his toughness, so Burns will likely get the chance to jump out to his usual early lead. With that said, Jenkins should be another opponent who can survive and take over the fight in dominant fashion. The pick is Jenkins via second-round stoppage.
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