UFC Fight Night: Shaqueme Rock vs Abdul Kareem Al Selwady Preview & Prediction
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"Shem" Rock returns looking to avenge a loss in his debut, taking on Abdul Kareem Al-Selwady at 155 pounds.
Shaqueme Rock vs Abdul Kareem Al Selwady facts
What time are Shaqueme Rock and Abdul Kareem Al Selwady expected to walk out?
Where is UFC Fight Night: Evloev vs Murphy? O2 Arena, London, England
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night: Evloev vs Murphy? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC Fight Night 270
What TV channel is UFC Fight Night: Evloev vs Murphy on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – Paramount
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night: Evloev vs Murphy? UK – TNT Sports can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and discovery+ / USA – Paramount+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC Fight Night: Evloev vs Murphy main card
Movsar Evloev vs Lerone Murphy (Featherweight)
Luke Riley vs Michael Aswell (Featherweight)
Michael Page vs Sam Patterson (Welterweight)
Iwo Baraniewski vs Austen Lane (Light Heavyweight)
Roman Dolidze vs Christian Leroy Duncan (Middleweight)
Kurtis Campbell vs Danny Silva (Featherweight)
UFC Fight Night: Evloev vs Murphy prelims
Mason Jones vs Axel Sola (Lightweight)
Nathaniel Wood vs Losene Keita (Featherweight)
Mario Pinto vs Felipe Franco (Heavyweight)
Mantas Kondratavicius vs Antonio Trocoli (Middleweight)
Louie Sutherland vs Brando Pericic (Heavyweight)
Shaqueme Rock vs Abdul Kareem Al Selwady (Lightweight)
Shanelle Dyer vs Ravena Oliveira (Women’s Strawweight)
Melissa Mullins vs Luana Carolina (Women’s Bantamweight)
Shaqueme Rock: Can the Scouser rebound from a less than convincing debut?
Next Gen representative Shaqueme “Shem” Rock” (12-2-1) returns after a disappointing debut decision loss to the highly touted Nurullo Aliev. A prolific submission threat with nine wins by tap out, the Scouser’s high octane fighting style, charismatic trash-talking personality, and remarkable back story means that his popularity continues to grow by the day. The Oktagon veteran pushes a frenetic pace in pursuit of the finish, consistently lending to fan-friendly action despite his reputation as a grappler. However, he’s not impervious to going out on his shield, having been caught and finished by KO in his sole defeat outside of the loss to Aliev.
Abdul Kareem Al Selwady: The Contender Series graduate looks to score his first UFC win after two years on the shelf
It’s been a rough start to life in the UFC for Abdul Kareem Al-Selwady (15-4). Despite earning a contract in a considerable upset on the Contender Series against George Hardwick, “Pride of Palestine” got brutally KO’d by Loik Radzhabanov in his debut, eating a bunch of unnecessary follow up shots in a fight that he was arguably on his way to winning. Since then, he’s endured no less than four fight cancellations, most recently pulling out of a bout against Matheus Camilo a few hours prior to weighing in. A well-rounded threat with excellent striking, the only knock against Al-Selwady is arguably his chin; the Palestinian fighter has been KO’d in each of his four professional defeats.
Shaqueme Rock vs Abdul Kareem Al Selwady prediction
It’s hard to know what to make of Rock’s debut. The Scouser looked good in moments after a lackluster start where he got pieced up on the feet, notably landing some decent kicks on Aliev. However, he looked tentative and couldn’t settle into any sort of meaningful rhythm, seemingly struggling to figure out his range and timing.
The Oktagon veteran was also caught lacking defensively throughout the fight, a concerning omen given Al-Selwady’s polished striking. With that being said, it’s hard to know how Al-Selwady is going to look after more than two years on the shelf. He had a decent showing against Radzhabanov prior to getting finished, but the mental demons associated with that loss could well play a factor here. There’s also question marks over his durability, considering that he gets knocked out every time he loses.
Fortunately for “Pride of Palestine,” Rock has never been a one shot KO threat. Al-Selwady has also never been submitted, the Next Gen representative’s most likely route to a finish here. He’s not a lock by any means, but I like the Palestinian’s aggression, tenacity, and relentless forward pressure to win through here. Al-Selwady lands cleaner and scores takedowns en route to a clear cut decision victory.
Prediction: Abdul Kareem Al Selwady to win by decision
