Preview: UFC on ESPN 62 Prelims

Middleweights

Zachary Reese (7-1, 1-1 UFC) vs. Jose Medina (11-3, 0-0 UFC)

ODDS: Reese (-500), Medina (+380)

It’s good to see Reese back in action after a quick turnaround, since he has consistently been entertaining, win or lose. Reese was a high-upside and low-floor flier when the UFC picked him off a Contender Series win in 2023. With a massive frame for a middleweight, Reese has historically abandoned all attempts at defense in the name of swarming his opponents and hunting for a finish. That worked quite well at first, with Reese racking up six wins to kick off his career—all within the first round and five within two minutes—but it eventually came back to bite him in his UFC debut, as Cody Brundage used a submission attempt from the Texan as an opportunity to knock him out with a slam, once again in under two minutes. A June win over Julian Marquez showed that the result did nothing to dissuade Reese from his usual approach, as he quickly stormed “The Cuban Missile Crisis” for a knockout in 20 seconds. He looks to repeat that trick here against a UFC newcomer. Medina was the most surprising signing on last year’s edition of the Contender Series since the Bolivian lost a fairly one-sided decision without accomplishing much of anything. He did keep walking forward and unsuccessfully tried to make things happen while he ate plenty of offense, and that toughness was apparently enough for UFC President Dana White to be impressed. Prior to that, Medina got by as a capable wrestler and grappler on a regional scene where that made him a standout, so there’s not much to suggest he’ll be ready for the jump to the UFC level. If there’s any cause for optimism, it’s that cutting down to middleweight figures to unlock some physical potential out of what had been an unathletic light heavyweight frame. However, given that he’s facing one of the largest middleweights on the UFC roster, that doesn’t figure to pay dividends in this assignment. The pick is Reese via first-round submission.

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