The MMA Daily

Originally this fight was to feature Dakota Bush against Rong Zhu, but Bush tested positive for COVID, thus removing him from the bout. In steps Brandon Jenkins, who is a journeyman that has proven to be an exciting fighter. While Jenkins has yet to build a legitimate win streak, his fighting style is something that UFC fans will enjoy. Of Jenkins’ sixteen wins, he has won thirteen via stoppage. With long limbs, Jenkins looks to pick apart foes from the outside. He likes to switch stances and throw head kicks and flying knees as well. This should excite Zhu, as his mix of striking and wrestling could be more effective in this spot. While his UFC debut didn’t go in his favor, Zhu landed three takedowns – a recipe I could see against Jenkins.

As for a prediction, I’m going to side with Zhu. The young Chinese fighter has been in camp training for a fight, whereas Jenkins is taking this on four days’ notice. While I believe Jenkins is the better striker, I do believe he will run into issues with Zhu’s wrestling. The later the fight goes, the more Jenkins will slow down due to the short notice nature of it. To cut weight in four days, and have the ability to go a hard fifteen minutes, is just something I don’t see happening. So with that, I predict Zhu will win via decision.