Preview: UFC Fight Night 200 Prelims

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Flyweights

NR | Denys Bondar (14-2, 0-0 UFC) vs. NR | Malcolm Gordon (13-5, 1-2 UFC)

ODDS: Bondar (-240), Gordon (+195)

This is an interesting flyweight scrap. Gordon has been hard to get a read on. The Canadian has an effective bag of tools but seemed like he would not be long for the UFC through two bouts, mostly due to an issue that even plagued him on the regional scene. Gordon just is not all that durable, careening wildly out of control most of the time when an opponent can hit him with clean offense. To his credit, Gordon still presses forward to make something happen even as he is obviously rocked, but that combination of aggression and frailty has led to a kill-or-be-killed approach that did not figure to be sustainable against better competition. That made it a surprise when he outlasted Francisco Figueiredo for a decision win in July. Figueiredo is nowhere near as effective as his former champion brother, but it was still impressive to see Gordon lean on a wrestling-heavy approach and survive where he had failed to do so in the past. That sets up an interesting fight against a promotional newcomer in Bondar, whose UFC debut has been delayed about a year due to injuries. Despite being a professional for a few years, Ukraine’s “Psycho” still has what reads as a relatively raw approach, throwing wild strikes in the hopes of leading to his wrestling and grappling. Bondar does have some skill on the mat, but given the scrambling-heavy nature of the flyweight division, it is a bit worrisome that he does not appear to be a lockdown grappler on the regional scene, even if he has consistently been able to find submissions. Between Gordon’s lack of durability and Bondar’s unproven nature, this is basically a coinflip if the former can survive the early going. However, Bondar’s combination of aggression and willingness to throw power still makes a quick finish the likeliest outcome. The pick is Bondar via first-round knockout.