Preview: UFC 299 Prelims

Flyweights

Asu Almabaev (18-2, 1-0 UFC) vs. C.J. Vergara (12-4-1, 3-2 UFC)

ODDS: Almabaev (-535), Vergara (+400)

Kazakhstan is quickly becoming a hotbed for UFC talent, and Almabaev is another recent signing who looks ready to make an impact. Almabaev should be an interesting talent to track, as his game is both quite effective and a fairly simple proposition. He is a fast athlete who finds almost all of his success as a lightning-quick wrestler, adding enough grappling to at least be a viable submission threat. That was how he handled Ode Osbourne rather easily in his UFC debut in August, and it should be a formula to success against most of the flyweight division. However, he might need to round things out at a championship level once opponents can keep up with that aspect of his game.

Vergara is a solid next step up, though this does appear to be a rough matchup for the American. Vergara has consistently brought the excitement during a five-fight UFC career. He is not up to the typical level of flyweight athleticism, but he has proven shockingly durable while surviving his opponents’ offense and turning things into a tough scrap. Vergara’s success has typically hinged on more athletic opponents being both inefficient and unable to keep up with his pace, and a 2022 loss to Tatsuro Taira seems instructive when it comes to a standout grappler being able to control him and find a finish. The pick is Almabaev via second-round submission.

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