Preview: UFC Fight Night 218 Prelims

Featherweights

Jeong Yeong Lee (9-1, 0-0 UFC) vs. Zha Yi (21-3, 0-0 UFC)

ODDS: Lee (-250), Yi (+210)

It will be interesting to see if Lee can keep this hot streak going, as “The Korean Tiger” has been the highlight of the “Road to UFC” featherweight bracket. Lee came to the tournament as a proven fighter, both in terms of strength of schedule and his ability to score a finish, and he put in all of 78 seconds of work to make it to the final, scoring an armbar on Xie Bin and knockout of Kai Lu in under a minute each. That also means Lee has taken out two of the three Chinese fighters in this 145-pound tournament, and he is in position to score the sweep here. Yi’s split decision win over Koyomi Matsushima in the semifinals was a bit questionable, but it continues his trend of proving himself to be a solid wrestler and grappler. The Matsushima win was something of a grind, but the quarterfinal saw him tap Keisuke Sasu in short order. There is certainly a chance for Yi to win an absolute slog, but the combination of Lee’s aggression and the danger that he brings should be enough to see him through, even if it is only taking advantage of the moments when he has time to work. However, if Lee keeps up his current form, the fight may not even go that far. The pick is Lee via first-round knockout.

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