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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is bringing a bevy of “Prelims” fights to both UFC Fight Pass and ESPN 2 this weekend (Sat., Oct. 5, 2019) when UFC 243: “Whittaker vs. Adesanya” storms Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia. MMAmania.com’s Patrick Stumberg continues the UFC 243 “Prelims” party with the second (and final) installment of a two-part undercard preview series below.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight division will crown an undisputed champion in Melbourne, Australia, this Saturday (Oct. 5, 2019) when Robert Whittaker returns to action to face undefeated interim kingpin Israel Adesanya. UFC 243’s pay-per-view (PPV) main card will also see Al Iaquinta look to rebound from his headlining loss to “Cowboy” Cerrone at the expense of James Vick, while Tai Tuivasa throws down with fellow Heavyweight bruiser Sergey Spivak.
We’ve got four more UFC 243 “Prelims” undercard bouts remaining to be analyzed (check out the first batch here). Let’s begin!
170 lbs.: Jake Matthews vs. Rostem Akman
Jake Matthews (14-4) bounced back from an unsuccessful The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) run to win four of his first five in the Octagon (all by stoppage). Consecutive losses to Kevin Lee and Andrew Holbrook led him to move to 170 pounds, where he won three straight before falling to Rocco Martin in Dec. 2018.
He stands one inch taller than Akman (6-1) at 5’11.”
“Kurdimus Prime” went 14-2 as an amateur and undefeated (6-0) as a professional before stepping up on short notice to challenge Sergey Khandozko in Stockholm last June. Akman started strong, only to lose a decision after suffering a tide-turning knockdown in the second.
He has knocked out five professional opponents and submitted one other.
It feels like Matthews is perpetually on the verge of a breakthrough victory. I doubt it’ll ever come, but he’s damn consistent against everyone below the Top 15-20. Though it could have been a product of the short notice, Akman’s struggles with Khandozhko suggest he numbers among those Matthews generally beats without issue.
Akman is a talented, well-rounded fighter with a real shot at the upset. After seeing Matthews hurt the extremely tough Li Jingliang and Akman get rocked in his most recent bout, though, I have to lean towards the “Celtic Kid.” Strong top control and a knockdown or two secure Matthews the win.
Prediction: Matthews via unanimous decision
265 lbs.: Yorgan De Castro vs. Justin Tafa
Yorgan De Castro (5-0) kicked off Season Three of “Contender Series” as its largest underdog, challenging wrestling standout Alton Meeks back in June. The Regiment Training Center-trained product wound up flipping the script and finishing Meeks with leg kicks to earn himself a UFC contract.
Three of his four (technical) knockout victories have come in the first round.
Justin Tafa (3-0) — whose elder brother Junior is a ranked kickboxer under the GLORY banner — scored a one-punch finish in his one and only amateur bout before joining the pros in May 2017. A 28-second knockout of Jeremy Joiner brought him the XFC Heavyweight title, which he defended by stopping Dylan Tiaaleaiga.
All of his victories have come via (technical) knockout within two rounds.
Two large men with lots of knockouts and limited defense should make for something interesting, at the very least. Or they could fail to hurt each other and gas, because that’s always the risk we run with Heavyweights.
Tafa has the higher ceiling of the two, as he trains out of the better camp and De Castro is carrying at least 30 pounds of excess weight based on his career weigh-ins, but looks to be in for a rough debut. He’s vulnerable to De Castro’s two best weapons, namely the low kick and overhand right, and De Castro’s fight with Meeks suggests that Tafa will be unable to use the top control he occasionally bust out. They bang it out until Tafa’s lead leg gives out.
Prediction: De Castro via second-round technical knockout
170 lbs.: Callan Potter vs. Maki Pitolo
Callan Potter (17-8) joined the world’s largest fight promotion with wins in nine of his previous 10 fights, eight victories coming by stoppage and the sole defeat coming to UFC veteran Marcin Held. The momentum wasn’t enough to save him from short-notice foe Jalin Turner, who knocked out “the Rockstar” in 53 seconds.
He has gone the distance just once in his pro career, submitting 10.
Maki Pitolo (11-4) came back from consecutive stoppage losses to avenge an early-career defeat in Bellator and find his way onto “Contender Series.” There, he knocked out Justin Sumter in 97 seconds despite moving up to Middleweight to do so.
“Coconut Bombz” stands three inches shorter than Potter at 5’9.”
I honestly have a hard time seeing this as anything but an absolute stomp for Pitolo. Potter’s grappling skill is offset by his complete lack of striking defense, which is not a deficiency you can have against an offensive powerhouse of this caliber. To make matter worse, “The Rockstar” is a long-time Lightweight taking on a guy who can hold his own at Middleweight, making it even unlikelier that he’ll survive enough fire to get his wrestling going.
Pitolo’s plenty hittable, too, but that won’t matter much here. A strong sprawl allows him to tear up Potter’s head and body for the finish.
Prediction: Pitolo via first-round technical knockout
145 lbs.: Megan Anderson vs. Zarah Fairn Dos Santos
Megan Anderson (8-4) secured both the Invicta Featherweight championship and a considerable amount of hype with her head kick knockout of Charmaine Tweet, setting up a UFC debut against Cris Cyborg at UFC 242. The fight wound up falling through, and Anderson has since gone just 1-2 in the Octagon.
Five of her seven stoppage wins have come via (technical) knockout.
Zarah Fairn Dos Santos (6-2) was set to make her Invicta debut last year against veteran Kaitlin Young, but ran into visa issues, making this her first fight in nearly 22 months. She’ll give up two inches of height to the 6’0” Anderson, but will have the reach advantage.
It’s become clear that UFC’s ideal strategy for Anderson is to keep her as far away as possible from anyone with even a shred of offensive wrestling prowess. Luckily for her, Dos Santos appears to fit the bill, sporting a strong sprawl and a decent 1-2 but showing little interest in taking things to the mat of her own volition.
That makes this a striking battle, and though Dos Santos can pressure well, her lack of offensive variety is a problem against the multifaceted Anderson. Anderson also looks to be the heavier hitter of the two and her height makes her kicking game a real threat. Movement and power kicks prevent Dos Santos from landing consistently and earn Anderson the win.
Prediction: Anderson via unanimous decision
“Bobby Knuckles” vs. “The Last Stylebender” is pure mixed martial arts (MMA) nectar. Don’t miss it. See you Saturday, Maniacs!
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 243 fight card this weekend, starting with the Fight Pass “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard balance on ESPN 2 at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
To check out the latest and greatest UFC 243: “Whittaker vs. Adesanya” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.