Themba GorimbovsJeremiah Wells

Jeremiah Wells returns to the Octagon after withdrawing from his May matchup, now facing Zimbabwe's Themba Gorimbo in a welterweight clash that pits two fighters heading in opposite directions. Wells, a switch-stance fighter from Renzo Gracie Philly, has dropped his last two—a split decision to Max Griffin and a third-round anaconda choke against Carlston Harris. Gorimbo, meanwhile, rode a three-fight win streak before Vicente Luque caught him with that same anaconda choke in just 52 seconds at UFC 310. The stylistic contrast here is fascinating.

Wells showed his best work in his split decision win over Matthew Semelsberger, landing 86 strikes and securing six takedowns with over 11 minutes of control time. Gorimbo's recent performances tell a different story—he put up 141 strikes against Niko Price and dominated Ramiz Brahimaj with an 82% striking accuracy and five takedowns. When Gorimbo's volume game is working, he's tough to handle. The grappling threat looms large for both.

Wells has finished fights by rear-naked choke, but he's also been submitted. Gorimbo's last loss came via submission, yet he's shown an 83% takedown success rate when he's the one initiating. Wells' switch stance could create problems for Gorimbo's orthodox approach, but only if he can avoid getting drawn into the high-pace striking battle where "The Answer" thrives.