Preview: UFC 258 Prelims

Third round TKO for @phillyfreshmma #DWCS pic.twitter.com/qDmE8tzdcI

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) August 21, 2019

Welterweight

NR | Gabriel Green (9-3, 0-1 UFC) vs. NR | Philip Rowe (7-2, 0-0 UFC)

ODDS: Green (-135), Rowe (+115)

This should be a fun under-the-radar banger. The constant crush of the UFC’s 2020 schedule meant that a lot of great fights were quickly forgotten, and that includes Green’s UFC debut against Daniel Rodriguez in May. It was a losing effort for the Californian, but he lived up to his reputation as a high-paced fighter who is consistently willing to press the action, even if Rodriguez got the better of things. A career lightweight until he met Rodriguez, Green surprisingly decided to stay at welterweight going forward—or at least for this next UFC bout. Rowe has been out of action since a 2019 win over Leon Shahbazyan on Dana White’s Contender Series, which is a shame. Beyond the fact that Rowe is a talented prospect with some potential, his weak slate of competition thus far means he could really use some ring time to gain experience and work out the kinks. Green’s pressure could be enough to take this, given that he is the best fighter Rowe has faced to date. However, the worry is that he is just physically outgunned here. While Green has a record full of finishes, it is based more on attrition than one-punch power; and if Green’s combination of aggression and lack of defense is going to give Rowe constant opportunities to score a knockout himself, it is hard not to just roll with the harder hitter. The pick is Rowe via second-round knockout.

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