Preview: UFC Fight Night 242 ‘Burns vs. Brady’

Lightweights

Zhu Rong (25-5, 1-2 UFC) vs. Chris Padilla (14-6, 1-0 UFC)

ODDS: Rong (-285), Padilla (+230)

Rong makes his UFC return here, and it will be interesting to see if the Chinese prospect is ready for the big stage this time around. A professional since he was a teenager, Rong put together a gaudy record against an inconsistent level of competition on the Chinese regional scene, leading to a UFC debut in 2021 months after his 21st birthday. He wound up losing that debut to Rodrigo Vargas, and the fight wound up telling the story of Rong’s three-fight UFC career. He’s a clear athletic talent but didn’t have enough technical depth to hang with most UFC-level opponents, particularly ones with any type of focus. However, given Rong’s potential, it wasn’t a shock when he got the call for the second edition of the “Road to UFC” tournament that features Asian talent; and it also wasn’t a surprise when he wound up winning the lightweight bracket. The overall scouting report is still the same for Rong, who remains a standout athlete without one elite part of his game to hang his hat on, but there has been some clear improvement on the margins in the last two years, as he has shown some better wrestling and ability to strike with power. Padilla makes for a solid return matchup, as “Taco” figures to slot in as a litmus test to see if his opponents are ready for the UFC.

Padilla had a decade of professional experience under his belt before getting the late-notice call from the UFC in April, and he didn’t appear particularly ready for the opportunity. Padilla has typically been a one-dimensional wrestler who has struggled against his best competition on the regional scene, but he looked sharp against James Llontop, scoring a submission within a round. There are enough raw prospects on the UFC roster that Padilla could keep finding some wins. Rong is right on that line, but while Padilla might succeed in turning this into a grind in the aggregate, the read is that the Chinese fighter can land enough hard shots to win rounds in the interstitial moments while avoiding a submission. The pick is Rong via decision.

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Burns vs. Brady
Silva vs. Andrade
Garcia vs. Nelson
Schnell vs. Durden
Peek vs. Ashmoz
Rong vs. Padilla
The Prelims