The MMA Daily

We have a scrap in the Welterweight division, as Andreas “The Spartan” Michailidis takes on UFC newcomer Rinat “Gladiator” Fakhretdinov. Returning to the octagon for the first time in 2022, Michailidis will look to get back in the win column. Having lost two of his three fights in the UFC, Michailidis enters his fourth appearance potentially needing a victory to hold off the prospect of his UFC tenure coming to a close. Meanwhile, Fakhretdinov comes into his UFC debut on a fourteen fight win streak. A known finisher, Fakhretdinov has won eighteen of his twenty victories via stoppage. Coming off a 55 second knockout over fromer UFC veteran Eric Spicely, Fakhretdinov appears ready for the bright lights.

As for a prediction, I have Fakhretdinov winning. Despite not having the strongest of resume’s, Fakhretdinov has tested himself of recent. Defeating two former UFC veterans in the last three fights, Fakhretdinov has proven that he is ready for the step-up in competition. A wrestler, with solid ground skills and cardio, Fakhretdinov is the type of fighter that can and has broken fighters over the course of the fight. With awkward striking, which involves some powerful looping strikes and sharp leg kicks, Fakhretdinov can also be problematic on the feet. While I’m not sure his area of success in the UFC will come on the feet, I will say that it could in this fight. Not to say Michailidis isn’t a good striker, but he’s been stopped on the feet in two of his three fights in the UFC. Quite frankly, I believe Michailidis is yet again, being used as a stepping stone. With that said, I predict that Fakhretdinov will win via TKO.