Preview: UFC Fight Night 231 Prelims

Lightweights

Kaue Fernandes (8-1) vs. Marc Diakiese (16-7)

ODDS: Diakiese (-155), Fernandes (+130)

Diakiese has done well to find a win when he needs it the most, and the Englishman finds himself in that position once again. Diakiese came to the UFC in 2016 as a top prospect, owing to his explosive athleticism and knockout power - and while his wins were a bit more difficult than expected, he did well to get off to a hot start with three straight wins inside of the Octagon. But Diakiese quickly plateaued from there, as most of his UFC career has seen him develop a well-rounded game without one standout skill to hang his hat on. That's been enough to get wins over some other former top prospects with their own issues, such as Joe Duffy and Lando Vannata, and in recent years it seemed like Diakiese was starting to find a groove as a control-heavy wrestler - but he's felt aimless once again in losses to Michael Johnson and Joel Alvarez, though the latter came with some controversy thanks to a clash of heads that led to the finish. Even after all his struggles, Diakiese is still somehow just 30 years old, so he may yet turn a corner at some point - and this fight against UFC newcomer Fernandes would be a nice place to start. Fernandes' record has been sparse in recent years, with only three fights in the last four years, but those bouts paint a fairly complete picture of the Brazilian; his last two wins have been sub-two minute knockouts, but those came after a decision loss where Fernandes faded badly after an electric first round. Fernandes's size and range striking could cause some issues for Diakiese early, but Diakiese's historic durability suggests he can survive the early going, after which the UFC vet figures to take over the latter two rounds of the fight. It might not be all that pretty, but the pick is Diakiese via decision.

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