UFC 325: Jacob Malkoun vs Torrez Finney Preview & Prediction
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A middleweight showdown pits Torrez Finney against Jacob Malkoun at 185 pounds, with both fighters looking to build on bizzare results last time out.
Jacob Malkoun vs Torrez Finney facts
What time are Jacob Malkoun and Torrez Finney expected to walk out?
Where is UFC 325? Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, Australia
Where can I get tickets for UFC 325? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC 325
What TV channel is UFC 325 on? UK – TNT Sports Box Office / USA – Not televised
Where can I stream UFC 325? UK – TNT Sports subscribers who have paid for the fight can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and discovery+ / USA – Paramount+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC 325: Volkanovski vs Lopes 2 main card
Alexander Volkanovski vs Diego Lopes (Featherweight)
Dan Hooker vs Benoit Saint Denis (Lightweight)
Rafael Fiziev vs Mauricio Ruffy (Lightweight)
Tai Tuivasa vs Tallison Teixeira (Heavyweight)
Quillan Salkilld vs Jamie Mullarkey (Lightweight)
UFC 325: Volkanovski vs Lopes 2 prelims
Junior Tafa vs Billy Elekana (Light Heavyweight)
Cameron Rowston vs Cody Brundage (Middleweight)
Jacob Malkoun vs Torrez Finney (Middleweight)
Jonathan Micallef vs Oban Elliott (Welterweight)
Kaan Ofli vs Yi Zha (Featherweight)
Kim Sang-wook vs Dom Mar Fan (Lightweight)
Keiichiro Nakamura vs Sebastian Szalay (Featherweight)
Sulang Rangbo vs Lawrence Lui (Bantamweight)
Jacob Malkoun: Robert Whittaker's training partner returns after a bizarre victory last time out
Despite a UFC record of 4-3, Jacob Malkoun (8-3) is a sneakily solid middleweight. Outside of a brutal debut KO loss to Phil Hawes, "Mamba" has only legitimately been bested by current top contender, Brendan Allen. He was DQ'd against Cody Brundage for an illegal elbow to the back of the head, but he was dominating up until the stoppage; there's also a solid argument that Brundage milked the seemingly minor foul for everything it was worth. While he has virtually no pop on the feet, Malkoun compensates for his lack of power with superb wrestling, allowing him to score wins over Abdul Razak Alhassan, AJ Dobson and Nick Maximov. His last contest saw one of the strangest TKOs in recent memory, with Andre Petroski flatlining himself after bouncing his head off Malkoun's hip attempting to score a takedown.
Torrez Finney: Dana White's least favorite middleweight returns after a dismal showing last time out
The UFC debut of Torrez Finney (11-0) was meant to be a feel good, full circle moment after three attempts on the Contender Series. Failing to make the promotion despite a submission victory in his first appearance, "The Punisher" was ridiculed by head honcho Dana White following a lackluster second showing despite a dominant victory. Finney would eventually punch his ticket to the UFC at the third time of asking, scoring a ferocious first round TKO. Regrettably, he seemingly didn't learn his lesson from White's scolding. "The Punisher" would produce one of the most lackluster fights in UFC history in his debut against Robert Valentin, landing no meaningful offense while while relentlessly shooting takedowns in an attempt to seemingly turn an MMA match into a wrestling contest.
Jacob Malkoun vs Torrez Finney prediction
Finney is undoubtedly a superb wrestler, but there are legitimate question marks over his fight style's compatibility with success in MMA. "The Punisher's" record is littered with TKO finishes, but closer examination reveals that the majority of them have come against completely outmatched cans. Every time Finney faces a fighter who poses even a minor threat to him, he arguably abandons any semblance of attempting to cause damage.
The clearest blueprint to beat Finney appears to be a fighter who can consistently stuff takedowns, fight their way back to their feet after being grounded, and has the power to put his lights out as "The Punisher" tires on the feet. Malkoun may qualify for the first two criteria, but his pillow fists means that he's unlikely to deter Finney's relentless grappling. His purported grappling chops indicate that he's capable of catching the American in a submission should the action hit the mat, but a glance at his record reveals zero submission victories in eleven professional fights.
In short, Malkoun's lack of finishing potential means that Finney is going to spam takedowns in the hopes of an early stoppage on the ground or another lay-and-pray decision. It's an approach that has worked for him eleven times previously, a state of affairs that appears unlikely to change here.
Prediction: Torrez Finney to win by decision
