Preview: UFC 314 Prelims

Middleweights

Michal Oleksiejczuk (19-9, 7-7 UFC) vs. Sedriques Dumas (10-2, 3-2 UFC)

ODDS: Oleksiejczuk (-192), Dumas (+160)

Some solid matchmaking sees an opportunity for either Oleksiejczuk to break a recent slide or for Dumas to get the best win of his career. Oleksiejczuk has had an interesting progression during his seven years and change on the UFC roster. The Pole initially came to the UFC as a light heavyweight prospect who would often rely on his durability to outlast and overtake his opponents, but he instead quickly turned into a one-round berserker, blitzing his opponents early or fading as time went on. Given that Oleksiejczuk was both undersized and under-athletic at 205 pounds, it wasn’t a shock when he decided to ply his trade down at middleweight, where early returns were decent enough. Oleksiejczuk could still get away with his blitzing strategy and did so while looking like a much better athlete while carrying less weight. However, he has hit an athletic wall hard, losing four of his last five fights, with the caveat that the UFC has continued to set him up with some of the best quick-twitch athletes available at 185 pounds, suggesting that Oleksiejczuk is better than that streak would suggest. He will look to prove that against Dumas, whose UFC career has been fairly successful while rarely impressive.

Dumas had the size and athleticism to be worth the flier when the UFC picked him up as a raw prospect in 2022, but “The Reaper” has leaned on those tools in about the least exciting way possible. He looked like a potent finisher on the regional scene, but his UFC wins have mostly come through an ugly and control-heavy wrestling game that has been able to neutralize worse athletes. That could easily happen here, but Dumas seems uncomfortable enough in a chaotic fight that it seems worth leaning into the idea that Oleksiejczuk can overwhelm him early and get this careening off the rails. The pick is Oleksiejczuk via first-round knockout.

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