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Welterweights
NR | Jeremiah Wells (9-2-1, 1-0 UFC) vs. NR | Mike Mathetha (3-0, 0-0 UFC)ODDS: Wells (-235), Mathetha (+190)
The latest City Kickboxing product to hit the Octagon, Mathetha should be an interesting prospect to track. A look at Mathetha’s regional film shows there is a lot to like. He is a creative striker with some strong athleticism, and he has shown a solid enough level of grappling on the Australian regional scene for a kickboxing convert. Given that he is with a camp that has been able to hone such talents in the past, there is the potential that “Blood Diamond” could wind up making a run in the welterweight division. However, before comparisons to teammate Israel Adesanya get out of hand, there are reasons to slow the hype around Mathetha. He is already 33 years old and is still completely unproven beyond the lowest levels of regional competition. With a late change in opponents, Mathetha gets thrown into the deep end a bit for his UFC debut against Jeremiah Wells. A tank of an athlete, Wells can sometimes be ridiculously aggressive in trying to run over his opponents. However, for as wild as he can be at times, there is more depth to his game than you would expect, mostly thanks to some solid wrestling and grappling chops that are backed up by his impressive power. That package led him to a second-round knockout win against Warlley Alves in his UFC debut in June, and it should carry him in this assignment. It would not be a shock if Mathetha has improved a great deal since his last fight two years ago, but there is also nothing to suggest that he is ready for the firepower and physicality Wells can bring to the table. The pick is Wells via second-round submission.