Preview: UFC Fight Night 244 Prelims

Flyweights

Clayton Carpenter (7-0, 1-0 UFC) vs. Lucas Rocha (17-1, 0-0 UFC)

ODDS: Carpenter (-192), Rocha (+160)

Two promising flyweights look to get some momentum going here. Rocha is the last contract winner from the 2023 edition of the Contender Series to make his UFC debut, and his win showed the positives and negatives of the Brazilian’s game. He got outwrestled for the better part of a round, continuing the trend from his previous fight, before uncorking a brutal knee to end things in the second round. Rocha’s fights can be a bit of an adventure in terms of finding success, but it’s hard to argue that he has an impressive level of power and finishing ability. That makes for a fascinating matchup against Carpenter, a talented prospect still looking for his breakout performance. Carpenter mostly ran over regional competition before getting dragged into an ugly win over Edgar Chairez on the 2022 edition of the Contender Series. It has aged better now that Chairez has proven himself in the UFC as an effective neutralizer. However, Carpenter hasn’t done much since, quickly finishing Juancamilo Ronderos in his UFC debut before vanishing for the last 20 months. This should at least be entertaining, given that both men are offensively potent without having many defensive answers. The call is that Carpenter’s wrestling can see him through. The pick is Carpenter via decision.

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Njokuani vs. Gooden
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Carpenter vs. Rocha