Preview: UFC 293 Prelims

Lightweights

Jamie Mullarkey (16-6, 4-4 UFC) vs. John Makdessi (18-8, 11-8 UFC)

ODDS: Mullarkey (-265), Makdessi (+215)

Mullarkey’s UFC career has certainly been an overall success, though the Australian could use an impressive performance at the moment. Mullarkey’s debut against Brad Riddell in 2019 was an unexpected banger, and from there, he was able to carve out a niche as a blood-and-guts fighter willing to grit out a win. However, a 2022 loss to Jalin Turner reaffirmed that Mullarkey’s well-rounded approach has a hard ceiling, and his two showings in 2023 have not been particularly inspiring. Mullarkey seems to be focusing on a slower-paced style with a lot of wrestling, which led to a grinding win over Francisco Prado and a shocking flash knockout loss to Muhammad Naimov in a fight where he was clearly ahead. It would be nice to see Mullarkey show some new wrinkles against Makdessi, who remains as consistent as ever over a decade into his UFC career. Initially a hyped prospect due to his flashy striking style, Quebec’s “Bull” quickly settled into the middle of the UFC’s lightweight division thanks to a game that is a bit of an odd proposition. Makdessi is truly impressive when he gets into a groove, but he is a range striker with one of the squattest builds on the lightweight roster. Even so, Makdessi is hard to track down, and his 2021 win over Ignacio Bahamondes showed he can go toe-to-toe against an opponent willing to simply march him down. However, there is always the chance that Makdessi’s size disadvantages take him out of the fight. That is the lean here, as Mullarkey is a sneakily massive lightweight. While his recent form has not been particularly inspiring, Mullarkey should be able to land with enough power and find enough wrestling success to gut out another victory. The pick is Mullarkey via decision.

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