Preview: UFC on ESPN 13 ‘Kattar vs. Ige’

Welterweights

Abdul Razak Alhassan (10-1) vs. Mounir Lazzez (9-1)

ODDS: Alhassan (-335), Lazzez (+275)

Alhassan’s game is pretty cut and dry. While the Ghanaian-American comes from a judo background, he just throws bombs, hopes for the knockout and does little else. He is quite good at it—it says a lot that he went toe-to-toe with Niko Price and got the quick finish—but his lone loss to Omari Akhmedov has shown that if Alhassan’s opponents can survive the opening few salvos, “Judo Thunder” does not have much to offer. However, Alhassan has not fought since that win over Price in 2018, which casts a pall over things. He was indicted on two charges of rape shortly thereafter, and while he was found not guilty on all charges, it is still understandable to feel uneasy about his return. He will take on Lazzez, a Tunisian newcomer who should make some noise over the course of his UFC career. He lives up to his “Sniper” nickname with a fun striking game and knockout power, but that means he is likely to stay standing with Alhassan. That probably will not go well. The pick is Alhassan via first-round knockout.

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