10 UFC 226 Predictions
5. Gökhan Saki Vs. Khalil Rountree Jr.
The first bout on the main card sees one rescheduled from UFC 219 between Gökhan Saki and Khalil Rountree Jr. When the decorated kickboxer Saki signed the with the UFC in 2017 with an MMA record of 0-1 quite a few eyebrows were raised. However, the Turkish light heavyweight demonstrated that he has worked on becoming more well rounded as he defeated Henrique da Silva in his UFC debut by first-round knockout.
The Ultimate Fighter 23 alumnus Khalil Rountree has proved to be a devastating striker during his MMA career, with all his UFC wins coming by way of knockout. The fight appears to have been made because Rountree Jr has also shown significant grappling deficiencies so it is safe to assume he will engage Saki on the feet.
However, In a striking battle between the two, the disparity in pedigree will be immediately evident and as Rountree doesn't have the grappling skills to contest the fight elsewhere he will have to strike with the Turkish Tyson, leading to Saki emerging victorious by knockout.
Prediction: Saki via round 1 KO