Preview: UFC Fight Night 202 Prelims

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Lightweights

NR | Fares Ziam (12-3, 2-1 UFC) vs. NR | Terrance McKinney (11-3, 1-0 UFC)

ODDS: Ziam (-125), McKinney (+105)

McKinney certainly set a high bar with his UFC debut. A powerful striker and a talented grappler, McKinney’s career has followed a clear pattern thus far. “T. Wrecks” is among the most reckless high-level fighters out there, throwing out wild offense in an attempt to score a quick finish. Sometimes it results in McKinney dumping out his gas tank or suffering a quick finish himself, but it has worked a whole lot more than it has failed to this point, and he is currently riding a huge wave of momentum. McKinney took the late-notice call in June—he was coming off three wins that lasted less than two minutes combined—and things worked out perfectly for that UFC debut against Matt Frevola, as he scored an electric knockout in just seven seconds. McKinney did not come out of the fight unscathed—he suffered a knee injury during his post-fight celebration—and he finally returns for his sophomore effort against Ziam. France’s Ziam has held his own in the UFC, though he is still a bit hard to get a feel for. A rangy striker by default, Ziam’s success seems to depend greatly on his opponents staying cautious and respecting his frame and skills. Ziam’s last bout, a narrow win against Luigi Vendramini, mostly tells the story. Ziam had plenty of success through two rounds against a patient Vendramini. However, as soon as Vendramini turned up the pace and aggression, Ziam clearly lost the third round and nearly lost the fight. Aggression certainly will not be an issue for McKinney, and it will be interesting to see if the American can use his wrestling advantage to hang onto a win if he is unable to score his usual early finish. The bet is that this fight does not even go that far. The pick is McKinney via first-round knockout.

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