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via Getty

via Getty

UFC welterweights Abdul Razak Alhassan and Jacob Malkoun are set to clash at UFC Vegas 24. Robert Whittaker vs Kelvin Gastelum headlines the event, which is set to take place this Saturday.

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The welterweight division is all stacked up for the upcoming UFC events, which also includes Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal 2 as the highlight, going further. Both Alhassan and Malkoun will be eager to grab eyeballs with their performance.

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Abdul Razak Alhassan vs Jacob Malkoun- Road to UFC Vegas 24

Alhassan (10-3, 4-3 UFC) is on a two-match losing streak. Khaos Williams destroyed him under 30 seconds when he ended the bout with a right jab on November 14, 2020, at UFC Fight Night: Felder vs Dos Santos. Before that, he lost to Munir Lazzez on July 16, 2020, at UFC on ESPN: Kattar vs Ige via unanimous decision.

He is averaging 4.54 significant strikes per minute and has a striking accuracy of 48 percent. He is absorbing 5.11 strikes and has a striking defense of 53 percent. His grappling is not that great, averaging 0.72 takedowns per every 15 minutes. His takedown accuracy is 28 percent, and his takedown defense is 42 percent.

‘Mamba’ Malkoun (4-1, 0-1 UFC) has only fought one match till now in the promotion. He lost that fight against Phil Hawes, who first landed devastating punches and then finished him with ground and pound. ‘Mamba’ actually did not even land a strike against Hawes.

He is absorbing 23.33 strikes per minute and has a striking defense of 36 percent. Because the fight lasted about 18 seconds, Malkoun has no grappling stats. Prior to joining UFC, he won 4 fights out of which 2 were Knockouts. Talking about his first loss at UFC, Malkoun said, “you learn from these mistakes.”

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‘Judo Thunder’ has more experience in the ring than ‘Mamba’. The excellent striker has accumulated all his career victories via KO/TKO. He will be out to prove a point.

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Malkoun is relatively new and will be under pressure to perform. He had a no-show in his first fight and is unlikely to improve much in his next fight. He will be wary of the striking capabilities Alhassan possesses and would like to take the match to the distance, if possible. Both are desperate for a victory.

Prediction: Alhassan to pick up the victory via second-round KO.

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