Preview: UFC Fight Night 212 Prelims

Middleweights

Nick Maximov (8-1) vs. Jacob Malkoun (6-2)

ODDS: Maximov (-135), Malkoun (+115)

This is a well-matched bout between two prospects who probably made it to the UFC a bit too early. Nick Maximov was on the UFC radar prior to his debut with the promotion late last year, as he showed some impressive wrestling chops in a late-notice heavyweight bout on the Contender Series but was rightfully deemed a bit too raw for a spot on the roster. But as a disciple of the Diaz brothers, Maximov getting a proper UFC shot was seemingly some sort of condition for Nick Diaz's UFC return, as Maximov was one of a few Diaz protégés to make their debut on his return card. Upon making it to the UFC, Maximov's first two fights were certainly a mixed bag; he proved to be effective as an absolutely dogged wrestler, but couldn't get much else done, winning some absolutely grimy decisions over Cody Brundage and Punahele Soriano. That made it a surprise when he suddenly suffered his first professional loss in May to Andre Petroski; Petroski figured to be the less effective grappler in a meeting of flawed grinders, but instead he managed to catch Maximov with a submission in just 76 seconds. Five months later, it's back to the literal grind for Maximov, as he looks to rebound against Jacob Malkoun. A training partner of Robert Whittaker, Malkoun didn't look particularly UFC-ready ahead of his 2020 promotional debut; "Mamba" looked too raw to have one clear skill to hang his hat on at the UFC level, along with appearing to be a subpar athlete per the UFC standard. That idea only got driven home further when Malkoun got shellacked by Phil Hawes in 18 seconds for that UFC debut, but Malkoun has proven to be a shockingly effective wrestler in his ensuing three bouts, scoring wins over Abdul Razak Alhassan and A.J. Dobson while taking Brendan Allen to a controversial decision loss. Malkoun is certainly maximizing his talents, but it does feel like he's walking a bit of a tightrope; he still doesn't read as an overwhelming athlete, and his lack of finishing ability means he likely needs to thread the needle of success for fifteen consistent minutes in order to walk away with a win. In general, Malkoun is the much more well-rounded fighter of these two, as he's clearly a better striker while also exhibiting the much deeper gas tank when embracing that grind. But there is the concern that, strength against strength, Maximov may just prove to be the stronger athlete and better wrestler if each of these two simply look to take this fight to the mat. The pick is still Malkoun via decision, but this is essentially a coin flip.

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