Preview: UFC Fight Night 153 ‘Gustafsson vs. Smith’

Featherweights

Makwan Amirkhani (14-3) vs. Chris Fishgold (18-2-1)

ODDS: Fishgold (-125), Amirkhani (+105)

Amirkhani has had a successful UFC career to date, yet it still feels like a disappointment. A lot of that is the weight of high expectations, particularly coming off of a stunningly impressive debut: “Mr. Finland” knocked out Andy Ogle in eight seconds UFC on Fox 14 and proceeded to show a ton of charisma in his post-fight interview. That was a bit of false advertising -- Amirkhani is best as an aggressive grappler more than anything else -- but after another quick win over Masio Fullen, Amirkhani looked like someone who could become a potential star. Again, Amirkhani has been successful, winning four of his five UFC bouts, but the main issue has been inactivity. Since 2015, Amirkhani has only fought once per calendar year, giving him little momentum going into each time he actually appears. Hopefully this fight against Fishgold marks the start of what is finally a legitimate run for a talented prospect.

Fishgold finally got the UFC call in late 2018 after a successful run in Cage Warriors Fighting Championship, and despite dropping his Octagon debut against Calvin Kattar in one-sided fashion, the Liverpool, England, native has proven to be a fun addition to the roster. Fishgold’s game is all about aggression and action. Whether it is throwing punches, looking for takedowns or just grinding out things in the clinch, Fishgold is always moving forward and trying to force something. The Kattar loss put a clear ceiling on him, at least in the short term, but Fishgold rebounded well with a one-sided win over Daniel Teymur that shows he belongs in the UFC, even if it will likely be more as a fan favorite than any sort of contender.

This will not be an easy fight for Amirkhani, but the style matchup greatly favors the Finn. Amirkhani’s striking game has not evolved much from fight to fight, as it is still based around single power shots, so Fishgold’s pressure should give him some issues as long as this fight is on the feet. The pace that Fishgold sets does not help, either, given that Amirkhani has traditionally had struggles keeping his gas tank full for 15 minutes. However, at the end of the day, so much of what Fishgold does ends up in the clinch or on the mat, and Amirkhani’s physical advantages and submission skills should allow him to get the upper hand in those exchanges, as needed. If Amirkhani had not already proven his toughness throughout his UFC career, there would be a solid chance that Fishgold could just blitz him and knock him out, but without the reliable opportunity for a stoppage, Amirkhani should be able to win rounds, even if it will be more difficult than he would prefer. The pick is Amirkhani via decision.

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