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Flyweights
Jeff Molina (10-2, 2-0 UFC) vs. Zhalgas Zhumagulov (14-6, 1-3 UFC)ODDS: Molina (-190), Zhumagulov (+160)
Molina has provided nothing but excitement during his time under the UFC banner, particularly for someone who was not particularly highly touted. Molina’s win over Jacob Silva on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2020 was entertaining, but “El Jefe” did not look like a particularly UFC-ready fighter. He showed an ability to fight back under pressure and be an absolute gamer, but it also was not a clean or overwhelming performance. However, thus far, that trend has continued, including the part where Molina picks up the win. He went toe-to-toe against Qileng Aori for 15 minutes of absolute madness in his UFC debut, and he gave up some early grappling advantages to Daniel Lacerda before turning things around for the finish. Molina looks to keep his winning streak intact against Zhumagulov, who has struggled to find consistent footing in the UFC. Zhumagulov is a much slower-paced fighter than Molina, but his process starts in a similar spot, allowing his opponent to pressure before he counters whatever gets brought his way. On the regional scene—and at a particularly high level—“Zhako” was able to rely on his athleticism and a deep bag of unorthodox tricks, but in the UFC, the Kyrgyz fighter has typically come out on the losing end after letting his opponent take the initiative. Zhumagulov did show a nice pivot in his last bout against Manel Kape in December, coming out with much more aggression than usual, but he found himself outgunned by one of the hardest hitters in the flyweight division and got knocked out as a result. Zhumagulov could be the harder hitter in this outing and has a solid chance at a win if he comes out with that same type of focus for a second fight in a row. With that said, Molina is still a lot easier to trust when it comes to being able to set a pace for three full rounds. This should be contentious if it goes to the scorecards, but it also figures to bring plenty of action. The pick is Molina via decision.
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