Preview: UFC Vegas 101 Prelims

Lightweights

Nurullo Aliev (9-0, 1-0 UFC) vs. Joe Solecki (13-5, 5-3 UFC)

ODDS: Aliev (-425), Solecki (+330)

Tajikistan has suddenly become a going concern in mixed martial arts over the last few years, and Aliev is one of the more interesting prospects to come out of the country. Aliev’s approach is fairly simple, as he has been a pure grinder for most of his career. Yet there are some reasons to believe he could wind up as a potential contender. He’s still quite young at 24 years old, and his Contender Series win in 2022 saw him open things up and score an impressive ground-and-pound finish. While his UFC debut against Rafael Alves wasn’t the most exciting bout, he did well to control a particularly strong athlete in the toughest test of his career. That win over Alves marked Aliev as one of the UFC’s better under-the-radar prospects, but he sadly hasn’t been able to capitalize on that momentum, with injuries forcing him out of action for almost two years. Aliev gets a chance to re-announce himself against Solecki, who provides a stout test despite stepping in on about a week’s notice. Solecki should be a willing dance partner on the mat. Since his UFC debut in 2019, Solecki’s clear best skills have been as a wrestler and a grappler. While Solecki has rarely been an easy out, he has struggled against opponents who can match him on the mat, particularly if they can take the initiative. Solecki has had his fair share of close fights where he has been able to lock down opponents while on top, but he also winds up fruitlessly hunting for submissions if opponents can get him on his back. It’s an open question how Aliev looks after such a long layoff, but if he’s in good shape and doesn’t seem particularly rusty, he should be able to grind out at least two out of three rounds. The pick is Aliev via decision.

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