Preview: UFC 322 Prelims

Middleweights

Baisangur Susurkaev (10-0, 1-0 UFC) vs. Eric McConico (10-3-1, 1-1 UFC)

BETTING ODDS: Susurkaev (-1000), McConico (+560)

Expectations are becoming a bit outsized for Susurkaev, but he’s still a prospect worth watching. Born in Chechnya, Susurkaev is obviously trying to portray himself as the next Khamzat Chimaev, and the UFC was content to try and recapture that lightning in a bottle earlier this year. Susurkaev won his UFC contract on the Contender Series in August, then turned around just four days later to make his UFC debut. Susurkaev has a solid approach, applying pressure and power to get to his wrestling and grappling. Plus, he at least has one decision win on his record that shows he’s not a glass cannon, even if a regional fight going that long proves that he’s not the level of wrecking ball that lives up to the Chimaev standard. Susurkaev’s Contender Series win was mostly one-way traffic, but that UFC debut against fellow newcomer Eric Nolan did show that he can border on being overconfident. The first round of the bout was a dogfight that saw Nolan land some effective offense before Susurkaev put him away in the second. That makes this minor move up in competition against McConico the correct level of next test for the Russian, as it’s a winnable pairing that Susurkaev would do well to take seriously.

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McConico was a surprise late-notice signing earlier this year. He had strung together some solid wins, but he was already in his mid-30s and had the type of well-rounded but unexciting game that gave him a gatekeeper’s ceiling. Two fights in, McConico did at least manage a narrow decision win over Cody Brundage in August, but that scouting report has mostly held to form. McConico doesn’t have many obvious weaknesses, but he does tend to need to survive and wait for his openings, which might not always be there against UFC-level competition. If Susurkaev takes his foot off the gas pedal, he could find himself having a rougher night than expected, but the call is that he should be able to grind this fight out and slowly take over. The pick is Susurkaev via second-round submission.

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