Preview: UFC 318 Prelims

Welterweights

Islam Dulatov (11-1, 0-0 UFC) vs. Adam Fugitt (10-4, 2-2 UFC)

BETTING ODDS: Dulatov (-600), Fugitt (+440)

After impressing on the Contender Series in October, Dulatov finally makes his UFC debut in this spot. Born in Russia and representing Germany, Dulatov has been impressively violent throughout his career, which carried through to that Contender Series win, as he finished his opponent with a particularly brutal elbow. Dulatov has consistently been able to overwhelm his opponents and quickly find finishes, whether that’s on the feet or on the mat. However, there’s a bit to suggest that things might go sideways in longer fights, as he has been forced to get some of those finishes from disadvantageous positions. That makes Fugitt the right type of first test for the UFC newcomer, as the American has proven himself to be a crafty and durable vet.



Fugitt is large for the division and a bit awkward athletically, but he has shown a knack for picking his spots to take over a fight, splitting his four UFC appearances to date despite consistently being at a disadvantage athletically. Even if both of those losses are via finish, it does take a surprising amount of offense to put Fugitt away. He gets rocked when he gets hit but keeps fighting back up until the point that he loses a war of attrition over the long haul. That all makes this a potentially tricky fight for Dulatov, but the German looks like the type of potent offensive force that could still end this before any of those pitfalls pop up. The pick is Dulatov via first-round knockout.

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