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NO HYPE Phil Hawes just detonated on #DWCS pic.twitter.com/1zSavpfH2A

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) September 9, 2020

Middleweights

Phil Hawes (8-2) vs. Jacob Malkoun (4-0)

ODDS: Hawes (-260), Malkoun (+220)

He may be a few years behind schedule, but it is nice to see Hawes finally get his shot in the UFC. Hawes was one of the top prospects in the world circa 2015. Beyond being an elite athlete with a strong wrestling pedigree, Hawes had showed enough a few fights into his pro career to suggest that he was a quick study at mixed martial arts. While Hawes got a few opportunities to make it into the UFC, he could never quite get over the hump. First came an appearance on “The Ultimate Fighter” during which Hawes did not even make it into the house, as eventual winner Andrew Sanchez managed to stall out his wrestling and take over as the more effective striker. Then came a shot on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2017, even with Hawes coming off a prospect loss against Louis Taylor. That fight saw Hawes outwrestle Julian Marquez for a round before exhausting himself and eating a head kick. Still, “Megatron” persisted and made good on his most recent shot, obliterating Khadzhimurat Bestaev on DWCS in September to finally punch his UFC ticket. He will take on an Australian in Malkoun, whose current claim to fame centers on his being a training partner of Robert Whittaker. Malkoun has some impressive poise for someone just four fights into his pro career, but he frankly does not look ready for the UFC level just yet. He is not a reliable knockout threat and the best part of his game seems to be his wrestling, which does not figure to translate against much stronger UFC competition. It has been over a year since Malkoun’s last bout, so he figures to have improved. Nevertheless, this is still a tough ask. If the Aussie hangs around this could get interesting, given that Hawes still has not proven to be an effective fighter for more than a round. With that said, Malkoun figures to be badly outgunned. The pick is Hawes via first-round stoppage.

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