Preview: UFC Fight Night 186 Prelims

WELCOME BACK DUSTIN JACOBY!!@thehanyakdj wastes NO time getting the finish tonight #UFCVegas12 pic.twitter.com/GDuPZwWQNy

— UFC Canada (@UFC_CA) October 31, 2020

Light Heavyweights

NR | Dustin Jacoby (13-5, 1-2 UFC) vs. NR | Maxim Grishin (31-8-2, 1-1 UFC)

ODDS: Jacoby (-185), Grishin (+160)

So far so good for Jacoby’s UFC comeback. His first UFC run was spectacularly unmemorable: Signed less than a year into his professional career, Jacoby lost two deep prelims—one of which was not even aired live—over the course of three months and was shown the door in 2012. He bounced around from there, including some bouts in Bellator MMA, but eventually turned his focus to kickboxing, where he put together a solid career. After essentially five years out of the sport, Jacoby eventually made his return via Dana White’s Contender Series in 2020, as he spent three rounds teeing off on Ty Flores and earned a contract. Jacoby’s UFC re-debut saw him make quick work of Justin Ledet, and he looks to do more of the same here. Grishin has been at this for well over a decade, mostly in his native Russia before a recent stint in the Professional Fighters League, and has the veteran style to match. While there are occasional moments of explosiveness, Grishin mostly just does everything at a decent level and looks to outlast his opponents. He has also proven to be quite difficult to finish; on top of years of veteran savvy, Grishin also seems to be particularly durable, which makes this fascinating. While Jacoby handily won his fight against Flores, he was absolutely gassed by the end of it, and if this fight goes in a similar fashion, Grishin should have much more success than Flores in terms of taking advantage of the situation. Still, the call is for Jacoby to do enough good work early—he also has the size to nullify Grishin’s typical reach advantage—that he can make up for any rough stretches he may encounter later in the bout. The pick is Jacoby via decision.