One of the fights that’s flying under the radar at UFC 258 is the welterweight matchup between Belal Muhammad (17-3) and Dhiego Lima (15-7). Muhammad will make the walk tomorrow night ranked 13th in the UFC‘s welterweight rankings.
When this fight was originally booked, I have to say that I was a bit surprised. Sure, Dhiego Lima has won three in a row, but I figured Belal Muhammad would get a ranked opponent. However, that was not the case.
Muhammad is 8-2 in his last ten fights in the UFC after losing his debut. He’s got very good wrestling and he mixes that with some unorthodox but effective boxing. In his last three wins, Muhammad has shown off just how good he can be when he gets his hands on you.
He’s faced three good strikers in a row, but nobody had an answer for the wrestling of Muhammad. The only guys who have defeated Muhammad have been Geoff Neal, Vicente Luque, and Alan Jouban. All three have great striking and could defend the takedown.
The blueprint is there at UFC 258 for Dhiego Lima. The Ultimate Fighter runner-up comes into this contest on a three-fight win streak. However, this is the first action for Lima since late 2019.
Between injuries and a COVID cancellation, it’s been some time since we’ve seen Lima compete. Lima has very good power in his hands and his striking is very good. However, this fight is going to come down to his grappling defense.
UFC 258 Prediction
When sizing up this matchup at UFC 258, you have to look at the styles of these two welterweights. When you do that, it’s pretty easy to see what the game plan will be for both of these fighters.
For Dhiego Lima, he has to keep the fight standing. If he can keep this purely a striking match, he has a great chance to pickup the upset win tomorrow night. However, if he can’t keep Muhammad off of him, it’s going to be a long night.
Belal Muhammad needs to do the exact same thing he’s done in his last three UFC fights. Throw some unorthodox shots and chain those into takedown attempts. Work the clinch along the fence and get this fight to the ground.
In reality, I don’t see Lima having anything for Belal Muhammad. The only way I see Lima winning is by landing a big shot as Muhammad shoots in. If that doesn’t happen, expected Muhammad to impose his will and walk away with another unanimous decision.
Prediction: Belal Muhammad by Unanimous Decision