The MMA Daily

We have a clash in the Welterweight division, as Phillip Rowe takes on Abubakar Nurmagomedov. Since dropping his UFC debut, Rowe has rattled off two straight stoppage victories. Still sporting a 100% finishing rate, if one thing is certain, Rowe doesn’t look for the judges to decide his fate. Meanwhile, Nurmagomedov comes into this fight off his first UFC victory over Jared Gooden. Seeing how his UFC debut was unsuccessful and he was just 1-2-1 in his four fights prior to the win, to say this was a much a needed victory would be an understatement.

After seeing what Rowe has done in back-to-back fights on the feet, I’m not sure if Nurmagomedov is going to engage much standing. Although adept to strike and having proven to throw solid combinations amongst his high activity, Nurmagomedov’s strength is his wrestling and grappling. Having waited until round three in his last fight to show that strength, perhaps Nurmagomedov will build off that in this fight. He’ll need to, as Rowe is a powerful kickboxer, who is active on the feet. While Rowe isn’t much of a wrestler, he seems to trust his grappling abilities by pulling guard often. With four submissions in nine victories, perhaps Rowe likes to get a feel for what he is dealing with on the ground.

Close as this fight might be, I’m going to side with Rowe. Between his power on the feet and his submission abilities, he offers up a sense of danger wherever this fight goes. Nurmagomedov may be well rounded, but seeing him get submitted in his two of his last five fights, perhaps has led him away from grappling as much. Not that his striking can’t get the job done, I just believe that Rowe’s power and activity will lead to more damage. A top priority among judges scoring the fight. So with that said, I predict that Rowe will win via decision.