Preview: UFC 272 Prelims

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Featherweights

NR | Umar Nurmagomedov (13-0, 1-0 UFC) vs. NR | Brian Kelleher (24-12, 8-5 UFC)

ODDS: Nurmagomedov (-720), Kelleher (+500)

Bantamweight already might be the UFC’s most stacked division, but Nurmagomedov is yet another top prospect to add to the proceedings. A cousin of Khabib Nurmagomedov, he was signed by the UFC in early 2020 but has mostly been a forgotten man thanks to inactivity. Owing to the pandemic and injury issues, Nurmagomedov’s lone UFC fight thus far was a January 2021 win over Sergey Morozov. On the plus side, that performance may have been Nurmagomedov’s best yet, as his full game was on display. He flashed some of his dynamic striking and had success taking things to the mat, eventually clamping on a second-round submission. Even with the year off, the UFC has decided to quickly push Nurmagomedov up the ranks for a 145-pound fight with Kelleher, who is well-established as a tough veteran out at this point. Long Island’s Kelleher is consistently dangerous, though he is prone to cold defensive starts. The beginning of his UFC career just about sums things up, as Kelleher tapped Iuri Alcantara in under two minutes for his debut, only to turn around and give up a quick armbar to Marlon Vera. That leads to a kill-or-be-killed approach early in Kelleher’s fights until "Boom" settles down, at which point he is a consistently effective fighter. Kelleher has been pivoting more towards his wrestling in recent fights, which would probably be a losing strategy over the long haul in this matchup, but this should be interesting for as long as it lasts, as Nurmagomedov is hittable on the feet and Kelleher can find some impressive spots to use his power. With that said, Nurmagomedov’s grappling should see him through here, particularly if he implements it early given Kelleher’s slow starts. The pick is Nurmagomedov via second-round submission.

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