Preview: UFC on ESPN 29 ‘Cannonier vs. Gastelum’

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Bantamweights

NR | Trevin Jones (13-6, 1-0 UFC) vs. NR | Saidyokub Kakhramonov (8-2, 0-0 UFC)

ODDS: Jones (-150), Kakhramonov (+120)

Jones has been one of the more pleasant surprises in this pandemic era of the UFC. After a solid career spanning the globe, not much was expected of Jones in his UFC debut about a year ago. He was stepping in on extremely short notice against fellow newcomer Timur Valiev, who was considered one of the best free agents available upon signing with the UFC. That held true for a bit, as Valiev scored a near-knockout that would have been called as such in most fights. However, Jones eventually staged a comeback for a second-round finish of his own, scoring one of the biggest upsets in UFC history, even if the result was later overturned due to a positive test for marijuana. Jones followed up his prospect-killing ways with a knockout of Mario Bautista in March, but he has had trouble getting a fight since; the last few weeks have seen him get shuffled between cards and opponents due to various issues, always on the other side. He eventually landed here against a late-notice opponent and UFC newcomer in Kakhramonov.

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Considering the short-notice circumstances, Kakharamonov is a surprisingly solid get for this spot. He has flashed a lot of tools as part of a pressure-heavy game and gave Umar Nurmagomedov a spirited effort in his most prominent fight to date—a 2018 bout in the Professional Fighters League. However, there are some openings that Jones should be able to exploit. Kakhramonov can get a bit wild on the feet, and he has shown a tendency to flag later in fights when he can set his own torrid pace. Jones’ style depends on threading the needle and finding a few big moments of offense, so it is difficult to depend on him entirely, but this looks like a winnable fight. The pick is Jones via second-round knockout.

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