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Flyweights

Azat Maksum (16-0, 0-0 UFC) vs. Tyson Nam (21-13-1, 3-4 UFC)

ODDS: Maksum (-410), Nam (+310)

Even nearing 40 years old, Nam does not show many signs of slowing down. The Hawaiian’s UFC run has been a pleasant surprise. Long past the time Nam had settled into a niche as one of the best globetrotting regional fighters around, he got the call as a late replacement weeks shy of his 36th birthday. From there, Nam has settled in as a veteran gatekeeper with a style in stark contrast to the typical flyweight game. Rather than rely on speed and volume, Nam is a planted power puncher who is traditionally more than willing to wait for his opportunity to land a huge knockout. That can lead to some fights where Nam simply winds up coasting to a decision loss through inactivity, but Nam has strung together enough highlight-reel knockouts to stay relevant heading into this fight against a UFC newcomer. Maksum is part of the newfound wave of Kazakh fighters making their impact in the sport, and he looks like a solid addition to the UFC’s flyweight ranks. He has the type of lanky frame that could present a problem and looks comfortable throwing down in a scrap, though he is at his best as a scrambling submission artist. Maksum’s striking seems to mostly be a means to an end at the moment, and he has the type of defensively void approach on the feet that could get him absolutely nuked by Nam. Even so, it does seem worth the flier that Maksum can cause enough chaos to get his type of fight and take this to the mat, if not finish things there outright. The pick is Maksum via second-round submission.

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