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Steve Erceg will try to extend his winning streak to three when he faces Ramazan Temirov in the featured flyweight bout at UFC Abu Dhabi on Saturday. The Australian, who challenged Alexandre Pantoja for the 125-pound title in his fourth promotional appearance, is listed at minus-136 to Temirov's plus-106, per MMA Mania's Andrew Richardson.
Temirov carries an eight-fight winning streak into Etihad Arena but returns from a PED suspension that followed his last outing against Charles Johnson. Richardson notes that the Uzbek wrestler applies heavy pressure and lands power shots in volume, creating a stylistic puzzle for Erceg. "What's interesting is that Temirov is both a wrestling-first fighter and outstanding athlete," Richardson wrote. "His overall style should play into Erceg's game well, yet he also might just blow him out of the water with hard punches in the first round."
Welterweight prospect Islam Dulatov heavily favored
Islam Dulatov opens as an overwhelming minus-850 favorite over Wellington Turman in welterweight action. The German prospect won his UFC debut with a first-round finish and has stopped most of his opponents early. Turman enters on a three-fight skid and has struggled with durability issues against clean punchers, making this matchup look lopsided on paper. Richardson predicted Dulatov to score a knockout before the second round.
In the lightweight division, Magomed Zaynukov meets Damian Rzepecki in a clash of undefeated prospects making their UFC debuts. Zaynukov, a decorated Muay Thai champion and Islam Makhachev training partner, is listed at minus-370 despite fighting an opponent who trains with Ilia Topuria and made his amateur debut at age 12. Richardson expects a high-volume firefight with Zaynukov landing the heavier shots over three rounds.
Rizvan Kuniev faces Tyrell Fortune in heavyweight action, with the Russian listed at minus-310 after his upset win over Jailton Almeida earlier this year. The card airs Saturday from Abu Dhabi with prelims starting at 2 p.m. ET.
Reported via:
- MMA Mania — UFC Abu Dhabi main card odds, breakdowns and predictions | X-Factor
