Preview: UFC Atlanta Prelims

Bantamweights
Malcolm Wellmaker (9-0) vs. Kris Moutinho (14-6)

Odds: Wellmaker (-1450), Moutinho (+850)

As soon as he asked for the opportunity, it seemed a given that Georgia native Malcolm Wellmaker would wind up on this card, and he gets another chance here to announce himself as a promising talent. At 31, Wellmaker's a bit older than expected for a top prospect, but he's proven a quick study since his professional debut three years ago and seems to have a lot of natural talent to work with. The shape of Wellmaker's game isn't on the cutting edge, as he's a slow-paced fighter that takes his time to walk down his opponents, but that hasn't mattered much thus far thanks to his combination of fast hands and knockout power; he obliterated his opponent on the Contender Series last year, then scored another quick and electric finish in what looked to be a tough debut against Cameron Saaiman this past April.

Wellmaker gets a similar test to the Saaiman fight here against UFC returnee Moutinho, who looks to be more successful in luring Wellmaker into a messy fight. Moutinho's UFC debut came out of left field, as he was plucked from the New England regional scene to face Sean O'Malley on late notice; Moutinho's performance wound up earning him some notoriety, but not necessarily for the best reasons, as he did an impressive job of fighting through an extended beating as O'Malley landed shots that would've knocked out most bantamweights. Moutinho's follow-up was unmemorable, as he got rocked by Guido Cannetti and lost via standing knockout in a fight most referees would've let continue, but he's done sneakily well since his return to the regional circuit, reeling off five straight victories to earn this shot. He's still much the same fighter, however, marching forward and leaning on his durability to outlast opponents and drag them into an ugly affair. That could work here, as Wellmaker has yet to prove what he does or doesn't know against someone that can apply consistent pressure effectively, but it's hard to bank on someone who leaves themselves so open defensively against as sharp a puncher as Wellmaker. The pick is Wellmaker via first-round knockout.

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