Preview: UFC Fight Night ‘Gustafsson vs. Teixeira’

Welterweights

Nordine Taleb (12-4) vs. Oliver Enkamp (7-0)

THE MATCHUP: Taleb was expected to take on exciting powerhouse Emil Weber Meek at this event, but Meek withdrew due to injury two weeks before the fight. In his place, baby-faced prospect Enkamp dips his toes into the choppy waters of the UFC’s welterweight division for the first time.

Enkamp uses a karate style on the feet, his bouncy movements calling to mind the striking of Gunnar Nelson but with a much higher output of kicks. He is certainly accurate with his spinning attacks, and he can create a violent collision with his counter cross, but like many fighters from point-fighting backgrounds, he reverts to throwing wild haymakers when pressed in the pocket. Enkamp has made considerable strides as a defensive wrestler since his pro debut, but he is liable to pour energy into clinch exchanges even when they do not favor him -- a symptom of his youth and inexperience. He is an aggressive submission artist but has yet to test his grappling skills against a real quality opponent.

In stark contrast to Enkamp, Taleb is one of the welterweight division’s best unsung contenders. Against the volume-punching Santiago Ponzinibbio, Taleb showed great dexterity and power with his kicks and battered the Argentine’s face with his jab. Though Taleb does not usually fight aggressively enough or hit hard enough to be a real knockout artist, he has demonstrated stinging power on several occasions, even managing to hurt the hard-chinned Ponzinibbio with a handful of sharp one-twos. A product of Firas Zahabi’s Tristar Gym, Taleb knows exactly how to use his length and typically excels at controlling the pace of a bout with his accurate striking and underrated wrestling. He is one of the best defensive fighters at Tristar, making use of head movement, distance management and efficient footwork to keep his opponents at bay.

Size will be a key factor in this fight. Enkamp is quite small for a welterweight, whereas Taleb, a 6-foot-1 former middleweight, makes for an imposing figure at 170 pounds. Enkamp is certainly comfortable fighting from range, but being an inexperienced fighter, he may be surprised at how easily Taleb is able to catch him with long jabs and quick kicks. With his long, bladed stance, Enkamp seems particularly vulnerable to low kicks, which just happen to be among Taleb’s most effective strikes.

THE ODDS: Taleb (-550), Enkamp (+425)

THE PICK: Enkamp is a talented young fighter with considerable potential, but one gets the feeling that this short-notice matchup is too much too soon. Taleb is an experienced pro who went blow-for-blow with a dangerous, aggressive striker in his last fight. He may have fewer opportunities this time around, as a result of Enkamp’s long-range style, but his precise, technical muay Thai should be more than a match for the flashy karate of the young Swede; and he has been more than willing to lean on his wrestling when necessary, a tactic that would combine well with his size advantage. The pick is Taleb by third-round TKO.

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