Preview: UFC Vegas 100 “Magny vs. Prates”

Middleweight

Mansur Abdul-Malik (6-0, 0-0 UFC) vs. Dusko Todorovic (12-4, 3-4 UFC)

OPPORTUNITIES: Abdul-Malik (-375), Todorovic (+295)

The newest wave of Contender Series graduates is on the way, and Abdul-Malik is an interesting talent among them. Like many UFC newcomers in recent years, Abdul-Malik’s track record is one of many quick wins, but while there are still concerns about how he fares in deeper waters, it’s hard to argue with the results so far. He’s clearly a powerhouse of an athlete with knockout power, and his college wrestling background has made him look like a terror on the mat thanks to some brutal ground-and-pound. Last but not least, Abdul-Malik showed he can last two rounds with his victory in the Contender Series – the first of his career to last multiple rounds – and he wants to further prove his skills here against Todorovic.

Todorovic has been a solid fighter since his own Contender Series win in 2019, although Serbia’s ‘Thunder’ has struggled to build much momentum during his time on the roster. Todorovic seemed to have some potential as a tyrannical clinch fighter before his UFC debut, especially since he had even overwhelmed Michel Pereira on the regional scene, but he was physically outmatched in many of his trips to the Octagon – a problem that only got worse because he doesn’t have the stamina to stand up to the toughest middleweight players. Therefore, Todorovic’s fights usually occur in a relatively short period of time. Either he is able to play tyrant and win an ugly war, or he hits a physical wall and everything quickly collapses from there. Abdul-Malik isn’t so proven yet that a Todorovic win wouldn’t be a surprise, but it looks like the latter scenario. The pick is Abdul-Malik due to a first-round interception.

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Magny versus Prates
De Ridder versus Meerschaert
Sopai vs. Turcios
Robertson vs. Pinheiro
Abdul Malik vs. Todorovic
The preliminary rounds