Verdict's Sleeper Fight of the Week: Thicknesse vs. Topuria

This fight takes place in the Bantamweight division (135 lbs.)

Colby Thicknesse enters the fight with an undefeated 7-0 record. The Australian is the former HEX Bantamweight Champion and has four career finishes.

Aleksandre Topuria holds a 5-1 record. Despite making his MMA debut nearly ten years ago, he's remained inactive. However, he has a 100% finish rate.

Official Odds: Colby Thicknesse +250, Aleksandre Topuria -385.

Thicknesse is an Australian with a well-rounded skill set, who uses a grappling-heavy approach, proven as both his KO/TKO wins have come via ground-and-pound. Training out of Freestyle MMA, the same gym that Alex Volkanovski trains out of, he's been surrounded by some of the best minds in the game. Thicknesse coached TUF alongside Volkanovski, working with UFC alumni Bryan Battle and Ricky Turcios. With his gritty style, he'll look to drag Topuria into deep waters and drown him.

On the other side, Aleksandre Topuria brings a dangerous combination of knockout power and submission skills. He is the older brother of UFC Featherweight Champion, Ilia Topuria. His background in grappling gives him confidence on the ground, but he shines on the feet with devastating boxing combinations. However, Aleksandre last fought on May 20th, 2023, so this layoff could affect his performance against the much fresher Colby Thicknesse. He has finished all of his wins inside two rounds, showing his ability to put opponents away quickly.

With these prospects looking to impress in their UFC debuts, this is a fight you don’t want to miss. Both men are backed by the two best Featherweights in the world, and will bring their all to make a stamp at UFC 312.