Preview: UFC Fight Night 181 Prelims

All business tonight for Sean Strickland, as he gets the TKO victory. pic.twitter.com/TBN2rihAKF

— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) October 28, 2018

Middleweights

Sean Strickland (20-3) vs. Jack Marshman (23-9)

ODDS: Strickland (-300), Marshman (+250)

It is comforting to see Strickland back competing for a variety of reasons. The Californian has long been one of the UFC’s most underrated fighters, but he also suffered a horrifying array of injuries in a motorcycle accident at the tail end of 2018. Prior to the accident, Strickland had exactly the type of style that flies under the radar. He is a patient counterstriker who tends to build during his fights, but he has rarely showed knockout power, winding up with a resume that is more impressive in terms of names than memorable performances. A knockout of Nordine Taleb provided some hope that Strickland was finally turning a corner in terms of finishing ability, but then the accident happened and now everything is an open question. Strickland moves up to middleweight for the first time in five years, as he will take on Marshman. The first Welshman signed by the UFC, Marshman is a scrappy boxer who has been looking to recapture the magic of his debut win over Magnus Cedenblad in the four years since it occurred. Marshman has had some fun performances, but he has also been clearly overmatched by better athletes and better wrestlers, so he has had difficulty gaining any momentum beyond the lower reaches of the UFC’s middleweight division. He should provide some danger here—he does have knockout power—but this fight is all about how Strickland looks upon his return. If he is anywhere near his old form, he should be able to pick apart and frustrate Marshman without much issue. The pick is Strickland via decision.

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