Preview: UFC 310 Prelims

Heavyweights

Kennedy Nzechukwu (13-5, 7-5 UFC) vs. Lukasz Brzeski (9-5-1, 1-4 UFC)

ODDS: Nzechukwu (-620), Brzeski (+400)

Nzechukwu is one fight into his move up to heavyweight, and so far, so good. Nzechukwu certainly has the frame for his new division, as he was a gigantic light heavyweight at 6-foot-5, but it’s unclear how he’s going to fare going forward after a spotty career at 205 pounds. Nzechukwu came to the UFC in 2018 as a particularly raw prospect and has developed a solid enough game technically, but he has rarely had a standout performance, often thanks to his refusal to put his foot on the gas and leverage his gifts. When it comes to the two things heavyweight bouts usually hinge on—power and durability—Nzechukwu has rarely been consistent. He has absorbed a beating and staged a comeback against Carlos Ulberg, but he also gotten knocked out in 82 seconds by Dustin Jacoby and been unable to put away Ovince St. Preux. At any rate, Nzechukwu was able to run through Chris Barnett in October to kick off his heavyweight career, and coming out of that bout relatively unscathed, he steps in on late notice to try for a second straight win against Brzeski.

Brzeski likely saved his UFC career with an April win over Valter Walker, but despite some decent flashes, “The Bull” has struggled to keep his head above water inside the Octagon. He can string together some momentum but doesn’t have much knockout power, and it has become apparent after two recent knockouts that Brzeski also doesn’t have the durability to win a war of attrition against most heavyweights. Nzechukwu can always disappoint, but it seems likelier than not that he can meet the standard of opponents who have knocked out Brzeski before. The pick is Nzechukwu via first-round knockout.

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Nzechukwu vs. Brzeski