Imago
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JUNE 20: (L-R) Belal Muhammad punches Lyman Good in their welterweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on June 20, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Imago
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JUNE 20: (L-R) Belal Muhammad punches Lyman Good in their welterweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on June 20, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
UFC 258 goes down on February 13 and the preliminary card features a welterweight scrap that’s got the fans’ attention. Belal Muhammad takes on Dhiego Lima in a bout that is highlighted to be crucial in the division. Not to mention, UFC 258’s main event hosts a welterweight title fight leaving the fanbase looking towards the other 170-pounders.
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Kamaru Usman looks to defend his undisputed strap for the third time against former teammate Gilbert Burns in the main event. Chiefly, both men are intrinsically familiar with each other and have spent several hours sparring each other in the gym. Moreover, there’s a lot on the line when looking at Muhammad’s match-up with Lima considering the division is short of new faces.
Also Read: UFC 258: Rodolfo Vieira vs Anthony Hernandez- Prediction and Analysis
UFC 258: Belal Muhammad vs Dhiego Lima
The 17-3 fighter is 7-1 in his last 8 outings with his only loss coming to Geoff Neal, a top 10 divisional contender. Belal Muhammad comes in as a criminally underrated welterweight with a well-rounded skillset to topple and challenger. He’s scalped wins over some notable names including Tim Means, Takashi Sato, and most recently, Lyman Good.
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JUNE 20: (R-L) Lyman Good punches Belal Muhammad in their welterweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on June 20, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
‘Remember the Name’ Muhammad isn’t known to be a prolific finisher as a large majority of his wins are won on the scorecards. It’s easy to see why he’s a tough outing as he chooses a grinding approach to tire his opponent. He’ll have to be wary of Lima who’s explosive in the pocket and will not likely adhere to Muhammad’s game.
Dhiego Lima is on a three-fight streak and he’s managed to distance himself from the skid he was on earlier. The 15-7 stand-out has ups and downs coming in however, he’s a sight to behold the moment he gets going. As mentioned earlier, he’s explosive with a wide array of weapons that can catch Belal by surprise.
However, Muhammad has fought flash cannon welterweights before and he’s able to round out his style accordingly. Dhiego Lima’s pressuring movement plays into Muhammad’s strengths and he’ll be confident in his ability to ground Lima at will.
Prediction: Belal Muhammad to claim a unanimous decision victory
