Preview: UFC Fight Night 237 Prelims

Flyweights

Felipe dos Santos (7-1, 0-1 UFC) vs. Victor Altamirano (12-3, 2-2 UFC)

ODDS: dos Santos (-298), Altamirano (+240)

Dos Santos had about as strong a UFC debut as you can have in a loss, which sets up a compelling sophomore effort here. Dos Santos was an interesting prospect heading into the 2023 edition of Dana White’s Contender Series. Just 22 years old at the time, Brazil’s “Lipe Detona” had a style built around constant pressure and action to overwhelm his opponents, along with suspect enough defense to keep things interesting. Dos Santos’ fight on DWCS was scrapped after his opponent’s botched weight cut, but a better opportunity quickly arose. Dos Santos was booked for his UFC debut a few weeks later, taking on rising contender Manel Kape on a pay-per-view main card. Kape clearly won the fight, but dos Santos put together a strong showing that proved he could hang tough with one of the hardest hitters he will encounter. It is something to build on, but it also will not mean much if he fails to turn around with a win against Altamirano. A late convert to mixed martial arts, Altamirano has crafted an entertaining game for himself. “El Magnifico” rarely brings pretty technique to the table, but he is a relentless scrapper willing to constantly try to make things happen, having enough durability to usually survive whatever comes his way. The Mexican-born fighter usually needs to rely on a wrestling advantage to get a victory over the finish line, which is an interesting wrinkle in this test, if only because dos Santos’ takedown defense has not been particularly tested. That could lead to Altamirano derailing the hype train, but the read is still that dos Santos will throw out enough effective offense to win on the scorecards, even if it might be a tougher fight than some expect. The pick is dos Santos via decision.

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