Preview: UFC 324 Prelims

Middleweights

Ateba Abega Gautier (9-1, 3-0 UFC) vs. Andrey Pulyaev (10-3, 1-1 UFC)

BETTING ODDS: Gautier (-900), Pulyaev (+600)

Gautier was one of the breakout prospects of 2025, and “The Silent Assassin” looks to keep the impressive performances coming in his latest test. Gautier’s athleticism and horsepower jump off the screen with one look at him, but while most raw athletes look to run over their opponents without much of a game plan, Gautier appears much better trained. He’s impressively poised and rarely rushes things, all while remaining absolutely terrifying once he springs into action. Gautier took his time before scoring the finish in his 2024 win on Dana White’s Contender Series, and he has made quick work of lower-level competition as his proper UFC career has gotten started. Some cracks in his game figure to show at some point, but Pulyaev, an Alexander Shlemenko protégé, is the right next test to slowly bring Gautier along.

Another contract winner from the 2024 edition of the Contender Series, Pulyaev’s decision victory didn’t exactly knock the UFC’s doors down. He looked like a solid enough fighter in terms of reacting to what his opponent brought to the table, but he didn’t look like the type of overwhelming technician or athlete that could find a clear path to consistent UFC success. As such, it wasn’t a shock that he accomplished little in his UFC debut against Christian Leroy Duncan, though he did score an impressive comeback against Nick Klein in August. It’s a bit worrying that he needed a comeback against Klein in the first place, but it did establish that the Russian can cause some damage once he survives and outlasts an opponent. That could happen here, but the survival part of the equation figures to be much more difficult against Gautier than it was against Klein. The pick is Gautier via first-round knockout.

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