Preview: UFC 309 Prelims

The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s annual visit to Madison Square Garden sees two beloved veterans of the Northeast scene take center stage on the UFC 309 undercard this Saturday in New York. The featured prelim should offer the best action of the bunch, as a Marcus McGhee-Jonathan Martinez showdown serves as the bantamweight division’s latest gift to fans. However, Chris Weidman and Jim Miller are charged with bringing some star power to the proceedings. Weidman enters the cage on the heels of his best performance in ages and draws a tough test against Eryk Anders, while Miller’s record-setting 45th assignment inside the Octagon should result in an entertaining war with Damon Jackson. Beyond that, Jhonata Diniz looks to break into the heavyweight rankings against Marcin Tybura in a well-made fight that was put together on just two weeks’ notice.

Now to the preview for the UFC 309 “Jones vs. Miocic” prelims:

Bantamweights

Marcus McGhee (9-1, 3-0 UFC) vs. #13 BW | Jonathan Martinez (19-5, 10-4 UFC)

ODDS: McGhee (-142), Martinez (+120)

UFC 309: Jones vs Miocic. Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now!
Martinez got turned back in his first real try at contender status and now finds himself in a crucial spot. He still has the youth and talent to regroup, but as this matchup shows, there are a ton of up-and-coming bantamweights waiting to take his spot. Martinez was a complete afterthought ahead of his UFC debut but quietly carved out a niche as an effective neutralizer. “Dragon” wasn’t particularly exciting at first, even if he was able to show some flashes of violence late in his fights, but after a few years of feeling things out, he at least made a name for himself as a particularly vicious low kicker, chopping down Cub Swanson and Adrian Yanez as part of a recent six-fight winning streak. Then Martinez got matched with Jose Aldo in May and had little answer as to how to take over the fight. His patient and thoughtful style can work against a lot of opponents, but there are few technicians greater than Aldo and Martinez was essentially willing to settle right into the former featherweight champion’s wheelhouse.

McGhee is a fascinating next test for Martinez, as he has been a pleasant surprise since making his UFC debut in 2023. McGhee just made his professional debut in 2020 but has a spotty amateur career going back to 2012, which comes through in the poise that “The Maniac” brings to his fights. That comfort, along with an elite level of athletic horsepower, has served McGhee well in his three UFC fights to date. It’s hard to nail down a particularly consistent approach for McGhee, but he moves forward and keeps trying to make things happen, eventually landing on an idea that can blow the fight open and get the ball rolling towards a finish. This is clearly McGhee’s toughest challenge to date, and it wouldn’t be a shock if he winds up passing it, given that Martinez has been caught in the past. However, the lean is that Martinez can effectively neutralize McGhee enough to fill up space and win rounds before he gets fully figured out. The pick is Martinez via decision.

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McGhee vs. Martinez
Anders vs. Weidman
Jackson vs. Miller
Onama vs. Romero
Tybura vs. Diniz
Gall vs. Brahimaj
Elliott vs. Hafez
Hardy vs. Moura