Bantamweights
Youssef Zalal (10-5, 3-3 UFC) vs. Da'Mon Blackshear (12-4, 0-0 UFC)It will be interesting to see Zalal back in action after a long layoff, particularly since he is moving down to a new weight class. “The Moroccan Devil” did not look particularly ready for the big time when he got the late-notice UFC call early in 2020, but Zalal’s combination of range striking and solid wrestling saw him get off to a hot start, racking up three wins in a six-month span to kick off his UFC career. When Zalal hit a plateau, he hit it hard. He had the poor fortune of welcoming current rising contender Ilia Topuria to the UFC, and matchups against fellow long featherweights Seung Woo Choi and Sean Woodson neutralized a lot of Zalal’s approach and led to some ugly decision losses. Things have been quiet on the Zalal front for over a year, and he drops down to bantamweight for the first time to take on an organizational newcomer in Blackshear. A six-year vet, Blackshear is another rangy prospect who is not a particularly overpowering force, but he is able to stay in his fights and get things done as a creative grappler, even if it is sometimes a bit of an adventure until he can find a finish. It has usually taken a strong wrestler to neutralize Blackshear, but Zalal looks to at least be a solid enough grappler to avoid getting tapped, so he should be able to coast to a win as the more effective striker, even if this could be a bit of a mess. The pick is Zalal via decision.
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Hill vs. Godinez
Buday vs. Brzeski
Benitez vs. Ontiveros
Osbourne vs. Nam
Zalal vs. Blackshear
Lipski vs. Cachoeira
Quinlan vs. Witt