Preview: UFC on ABC 7 Prelims

Middleweights

Sedriques Dumas (9-2, 2-2 UFC) vs. Denis Tiuliulin (10-9, 1-4 UFC)

ODDS: Dumas (-218), Tiuliulin (+180)

Dumas was worth the flier when the UFC picked him up off the Contender Series in 2022. “The Reaper” was obviously raw but had enough physical talent and finishing ability that there was the chance that he could develop into something interesting. Dumas hasn’t been a complete bust as a prospect, but it’s also hard to say he has stood out. Beyond constant legal issues outside the cage, Dumas’ UFC career has been a string of unimpressive performances where his most reliable weapon has been a control-heavy wrestling game. After a somewhat controversial loss to Nursulton Ruziboev in March—Dumas was finished shortly after an unrecognized eye poke—he attempts to rebound against Tiuliulin. The 36-year-old Tiuliulin had a middling regional record that suggested he wasn’t UFC-ready when the promotion picked him up early in 2022, but he has mostly lived up to the billing for better or for worse. He’s an exciting fighter who’s seemingly always available to step in on short notice and throw down, even if things tend to go south whenever his opponents can get him to the ground. Dumas should be in for a rough few minutes early on, but his success in the UFC has come against opponents who have questionable gas tanks and make some poor decisions on the mat, so this looks like another fight where the American can coast out a win. Perhaps Dumas turns a corner in terms of finding another level of dominance, but the pick is Dumas via decision.

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