UFC 242: Khabib vs. Poirier - Predictions and Picks

#7 The Prelims: UFC Fight Pass card

Belal Muhammad gets the headliner on the Fight Pass prelims

Fight Pass subscribers can check out four prelims this weekend and they’re actually pretty good. At the top of the card is a Welterweight match between Belal Muhammad and Takashi Sato. Sato looked excellent when he took out veteran Ben Saunders in April, but Saunders’ chin is compromised at this stage and I worry for the Japanese fighter here, as Muhammad is a powerful grappler as well as a decent striker. Muhammad by decision is my pick.

Also at Welterweight, veteran Nordine Taleb takes on Muslim Salikhov. An incredibly flashy striker, Salikhov hasn’t quite lived up to his pre-UFC hype, as he’s 1-1 in the Octagon and struggled hugely against the grinder Alex Garcia in his promotional debut. Taleb though is aging and may be past his best at this point. This is a winnable fight for Taleb but I worry about him against a faster and more explosive opponent so I’m going with Salikhov via KO.

At Middleweight, we’ve got a likely dull battle of grinders between Omari Akhmedov and Zak Cummings. If I’m honest I can’t think of a fight in 2019 that has me less interested; I like Akhmedov via decision as I think he’s slightly better in all areas.

Finally, Lightweights Don Madge and Fares Ziam face off in the opener, and this could go either way given how unproven both men are. I’m leaning towards the Octagon experience and taking Madge, but it could easily go Ziam’s way.