Preview: UFC Fight Night 244 Prelims

Bantamweights

Cody Haddon (7-1, 0-0 UFC) vs. Dan Argueta (9-2, 1-2 UFC)

ODDS: Haddon (-185), Argueta (+154)

Argueta’s a fighter clearly better than his UFC record, but “The Determined” could badly use a win. After a stint on “The Ultimate Fighter” and a solid regional career—it saw him beat recent “The Ultimate Fighter” winner Mairon Santos in a win that has aged well—Argueta got the late-notice UFC call in 2022 and immediately showed off his wares. Argueta isn’t much of a finisher, but he’s an absolutely relentless wrestler and a perennial tough out, though again, he has had trouble leveraging those attributes into actual victories. He seemingly had a submission win over Ronnie Lawrence locked up before an early referee stoppage ended the fight in a no contest, and his last bout against Jean Matsumoto was going well until the undefeated Brazilian jumped on a sudden submission. There are certainly wins for Argueta on the UFC roster, so it seems a bit rough that of all the UFC newcomers, they company matched him with a recent Contender Series standout in Haddon. Sometimes, it’s hard to parse exactly how well success on the Australian scene will translate to the UFC, but the Perth native looks ready for the transition. His ability to hang three rounds with flyweight contender Steve Erceg in 2021 speaks well to his skills on the mat, and he looked like a complete fighter in his contract-earning win in August, stunning his opponent on the feet before hopping onto a submission. Argueta’s physicality and relentless pace is a new challenge for Haddon, so the UFC veteran could certainly grind his way to a victory, but the Australian looks like the type of talent that can stay ahead and possibly find a finish. The pick is Haddon via third-round submission.

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