Preview: UFC Fight Night 138 ‘Oezdemir vs. Smith’

Lightweights

Te’Jovan Edwards (6-1) vs. Don Madge (7-3-1): Two debuting lightweight prospects clash in this one. Edwards, a former Arizona State and Old Dominion wrestler, is the latest product of Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series to debut. On top of his wrestling skill, he has shown some knockout power, scoring a 28-second finish on DWTNCS to earn his contract. He takes on Madge, a muay Thai stylist out of South Africa who looks solid for someone coming out of a regional scene that can be a bit spotty. Madge is more interesting than I expected, as he is a giant, dangerous striker. However, Edwards’ wrestling should carry the day here and lead to a quick finish. The pick is Edwards via first-round stoppage. ODDS: Edwards (-485), Madge (+385)

Heavyweights

Arjan Singh Bhullar (7-1) vs. Marcelo Golm (6-1): British Columbia’s Bhullar has already made history, as his 2017 debut marked him as the first fighter of Indian heritage to step inside the Octagon. He is a fine heavyweight prospect, an undersized wrestler who likes to punch his way into the clinch. His is not the most dynamic fighting style, but it has been effective thus far, even if he suffered a shocking omoplata submission loss to Adam Wieczorek in April. Bhullar looks to rebound against Brazil’s Golm, who could also use a bounce-back win. Golm is a more typical prospect, as he looked good putting together a string of quick knockouts to start his career before running into Timothy Johnson, who managed to beat him in clinch-heavy fight in February. If Golm does not get a quick finish, he could be in trouble, but his size and athleticism advantage should serve him well here. Even if the fight drags on, Golm did have his moments in close quarters with Johnson, so he may still be able to neutralize some of Bhullar’s wrestling if he cannot get a quick win. The pick is Golm via first-round knockout. ODDS: Bhullar (-220), Golm (+180)

Lightweights

Steven Ray (21-8) vs. Jessin Ayari (16-4): Germany’s Ayari cuts down to lightweight for this fight, which is an interesting gambit. He was a long, one-shot striker at welterweight, so he figures to have even more of a reach advantage going forward. However, he also badly underestimates his own hittability, which might be even more of an issue against quicker fighters. He takes on Scotland’s Ray, who is a fun if flawed fighter. Ray can do a little bit of everything offensively, but he does not have much takedown defense and can be lured into chasing his opponent, just as he did against Kajan Johnson. It is a well-made match, but I will take the flier on Ayari to be able to pick Ray apart and keep him at bay. The pick is Ayari via decision. ODDS: Ray (-155), Ayari (+135)