Light Heavyweights
William Knight (11-4, 3-3 UFC) vs. Marcin Prachnio (15-6, 2-4 UFC)It has not quite come together as hoped for Knight, but at least he has the physical tools to author a turnaround. “Knightmare” is essentially a human ball of muscle, subsequently possessing strength and power to cause problems for anyone. A vast amount of Knight’s regional career saw opponents either stall out when attempting to move him or just walk right into a knockout punch. Now that he has worked his way up the UFC ladder, the book is essentially out not to meet Knight on his own terms. Some opponents have no choice but to walk in and try to trade with Knight, but if someone can either strike effectively at a distance or work up enough momentum to sweep him off his feet, it has essentially exposed that there is a lot of awkwardness and discomfort to how he throws his offense. Maxim Grishin and Devin Clark successfully outmaneuvered Knight in his last two fights, and now, Prachnio steps up to the proverbial plate. Prachnio had a rude awakening in his UFC debut back in 2018, walking into a Sam Alvey knockout, and the situation did not get much better for the Pole from there. He tried a few different ideas in his next few fights, all of which only served the purpose of getting Prachnio knocked out. It was a bit of a surprise when Prachnio got a fourth chance at a UFC win against Khalil Rountree in 2021 and even more surprising when he actually walked away with the victory; his karate-heavy striking style finally clicked, and he successfully frustrated Rountree and survived in the face of significant horsepower. Prachnio followed that with a knockout of Isaac Villanueva, though a subsequent loss to Philipe Lins did serve as a reminder that he does have a ceiling in the face of some well-rounded aggression. Prachnio getting shellacked is never out of the question, but he figures to be able to outmaneuver Knight and could pour on the punishment if the Connecticut native gets tired in the later rounds. The pick is Prachnio via third-round stoppage.
Jump To »
Andrade vs. Blanchfield
Pauga vs. Wright
Pogues vs. Parisian
Knight vs. Prachnio
Hernandez vs. Miller
The Prelims