Lightweights
Kaue Fernandes (8-2, 0-1 UFC) vs. Mohammad Yahya (12-4, 0-1 UFC)Yahya made some history in October, fighting on home soil in Abu Dhabi as the UFC’s first Emirati fighter, but nothing went particularly well otherwise in what wound up as a flat promotional debut. Yahya has typically dealt with some thin margins to begin with, fighting with a neutralizing style built around either keeping opponents at range or outwrestling them, but he had little answer for Trevor Peek’s power and physicality in what wound up as a surprisingly wrestling-heavy fight. Fernandes might wind up as a more forgiving matchup in Yahya’s sophomore trip to the Octagon, though he is an impressive athlete himself, capable of quickly setting a range and scoring some quick finishes. Everything past that has been an issue for the Brazilian, who becomes much less effective over time and once he faces resistance. As such, it wasn’t necessarily a surprise when his UFC debut against Marc Diakiese, who’s nothing if not durable and able to outlast his opponents, eventually went against Fernandes. However, between Fernandes’ hot starts and Yahya likely being willing to give him time and space to work early on, this looks much likelier to be a bounce-back win for the Nova Uniao rep than the hometown favorite. The pick is Fernandes via first-round knockout.
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