Flyweights
#15 FLW | Tagir Ulanbekov (13-1, 1-0 UFC) vs. NR | Allan Nascimento (18-5, 0-0 UFC)ODDS: Ulanbekov (-365), Nascimento (+305)
It has been nice to watch the UFC fill out its flyweight ranks recently, with these two serving as interesting additions who could each make an impact. Ulanbekov is a teammate of Khabib Nurmagomedov, and with that comes the game that you would expect: decent striking as part of an approach built around a crushing and controlling wrestling game. It is an excellent base that led Ulanbekov to a strong resume prior to signing with the UFC, but there are some questions about the Russian’s upside. He is not an elite athlete, and a controlling style is a much harder needle to thread against slipperier opponents in lower weight classes like flyweight. As a result, his debut win over Bruno Silva in 2020 had some dicey moments, and Nascimento could cause some damage in this one. Nascimento put together a strong career before competing on the one-off Brazilian edition of Dana White’s Contender Series in 2018, when he narrowly lost an entertaining scrap against current UFC standout Raulian Paiva. “Puro Osso” was dormant from there but apparently remained on the UFC’s radar. After Nascimento’s first fight in three years—a quick regional win in August—he was quickly signed and booked for this appearance. Nascimento is dynamic everywhere, particularly on the mat, and his tall frame could cause some issues for Ulanbekov, especially if he manages to land a wild strike. With that said, Ulanbekov is the more reliable fighter over three rounds and should be able to take this to the ground without getting caught in a submission. The pick is Ulanbekov via decision.