Featherweights
NR | Brian Kelleher (23-12, 7-5 UFC) vs. NR | Kevin Croom (21-13, 0-1 UFC)ODDS: Kelleher (-330), Kelleher (+270)
Kelleher has carved out a nice niche for himself as a gatekeeper in just about the best way possible. Already a battle-tested vet by the time he made his UFC debut in 2017, the Long Islander is a consistently dangerous fighter. Even though he usually takes a while to settle into his fights, “Boom” is a knockout and submission threat from the opening horn. Against the rawer fighters on the UFC roster, that makes Kelleher the perfect obstacle. While he has been overwhelmed by the better prospects he has faced, Kelleher is often able to find a finish at some point over the course of 15 minutes. Attempts at a true title run have seen Kelleher hit a clear ceiling against the likes of Cody Stamann and Ricky Simon, but he has consistently chugged along against everyone else, even pivoting towards a wrestling-heavy approach that earned him a one-sided win over Domingo Pilarte in August. Initially back on the prospect-testing beat here against Saidyokub Kakhramonov, Kelleher will instead face Croom on just days’ notice. Croom has thrived in this spot before. His UFC debut in 2020 memorably saw him deck and tap out Roosevelt Roberts in just 31 seconds, scoring one of the biggest upsets of the year. Croom was unsuccessful in his sophomore UFC effort against Alex Caceres, but he has a decent shot at a rebound against a fellow crafty veteran here. Kelleher has been caught cold before, and Croom is certainly capable. However, as this fight goes on, Kelleher looks to have the deeper bag of tools between these two opportunists, and the wrestling-heavy approach he used against Pilarte figures to serve as a reliable failsafe. The pick is Kelleher via second-round submission.