Preview: UFC Fight Night 175 ‘Smith vs. Rakic’ Prelims

Middleweights

Alessio Di Chirico (12-4) vs. Zak Cummings (23-7)

ODDS: Di Chirico (-120), Cummings (+100)

Cummings has slipped to the point that he is no longer one of the most underrated fighters on the UFC roster, but he has still proven to be a solid veteran since his move back to middleweight. Cummings’ best moments are as a crafty submission threat, but he has also developed a powerful counterpunching game over the years. The issue? At this point, Cummings basically needs his opponent to bring the fight to him, as he has a tendency to get stuck in a range kickboxing match where he cannot get much done. He will take on Italy’s Di Chirico, who is officially well-rounded to a fault. When “Manzo” made his UFC debut in 2016, his ability to do a little bit of everything was a pleasant surprise, but he has not developed much in the years since. As he has moved up the ladder and regularly taken on solid competition, his inability to take over any one realm of the fight—or even seemingly have much interest in taking an aggressive approach at all—has proven to be a liability. This should be Cummings’ fight to lose, though the worry is that he himself does not have the disposition to take over this fight, particularly in terms of pressing his wrestling. With that said, if Cummings can get this to the mat, he should be able to finish it with ease. The pick is Cummings via first-round submission.

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