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Not in Kansas anymore: How 3 highly touted newcomers will fare in the UFC

CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP / Getty

What UFC Fight Night 122 lacks in star power, it will make up for as a proving ground, with three highly touted newcomers in Muslim Salikhov, Sheymon Moraes, and Wang Guan making their promotional debuts on Saturday's show in Shanghai.

All three have compiled solid professional records on a variety of circuits, but will now be tasked with the stiffest tests of their respective careers on the top fight factory's first bill in mainland China.

Here's an appraisal of their fortes, flaws, and what they'll amount to on the big stage:

Muslim "The King of Kung Fu" Salikhov

Age: 33
Division: Welterweight
Record: 12-1
Opponent: Alex Garcia

With nearly 200 kickboxing bouts, 10 knockouts, and 11 first-round stoppages in MMA to his name, Salikhov's resume reads like a veritable hit list - one including spinning hook kick KOs of UFC alumni Ivan Jorge and latest victim Melvin Guillard.

The 33-year-old Wushu Sanda and Sanshou specialist is as cerebral as they come in the striking department, usually opting to snipe his foes with his patented right hand and rarely telegraphed spinning kicks as opposed to overwhelming them with volume.

Salikhov isn't nearly as comfortable on the mat, however, doing little from his back other than controlling his opponent's posture, which puts quite the dent in his chances of climbing a steep divisional ladder teeming with top-notch grapplers.

In his first UFC bout, the Dagestani meets Alex Garcia, a hard-hitting wrestler equally capable of exploiting his deficiencies or playing right into his hand. Should Garcia pursue the takedown with regularity, Salikhov won't be regaling the Chinese faithful with a highlight-reel stoppage - as he has many times before - but if the Tristar product opts to keep it standing and load up on his punches, it'll be the technically proficient newcomer getting his hand raised.

Prediction: Given his age, the mileage he's accrued as a kickboxer, and glaring lack of versatility, Salikhov won't be sitting at the contenders' table anytime soon, but he'll cement his roster spot and steal the hearts of UFC diehards with a never-ending supply of fireworks.

Sheymon Moraes

Age: 27
Division: Featherweight
Record: 9-1 (3-1 in WSOF)
Opponent: Zabit Magomedsharipov

Despite giving up several years to his fellow debutants, Moraes' pedigree edges Salikhov's and Guan's, having compiled a 3-1 record in the World Series of Fighting and challenged for its bantamweight crown.

The 27-year-old first introduced himself to mainstream audiences as a coach on Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira's team during the second season of "The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil," but he's since traded the heavyweight legend's tutelage for a home at California-based guild Black House.

A true Muay Thai banger, Moraes is never out of a fight as long as it stays standing, deploying a varied attack that's knocked out five of nine pro scalps, including a 20-second trouncing of Felipe Alves.

In his sole defeat - a third-round submission courtesy of former WSOF champ and fellow import Marlon Moraes (no relation) - the Brazilian had a rough go of getting inside and piecing counters together. Tantalizing as Moraes is, the going won't get any easier when he meets Zabit Magomedsharipov in a move up to featherweight on Saturday. The lanky Russian knows how to keep foes on the end of his reach, which could impede Moraes' efforts to settle into a striking rhythm. That being said, the newcomer enters the contest as the cleanest and most seasoned standup artist Magomedsharipov has ever faced.

Prediction: Moraes falls to Magomedsharipov in a closely contested debut, but rises fast - a la Mirsad Bektic - and cracks the top 15 of a talent-rich 145-pound crop within his next few fights.

Wang "The Dongbei Tiger" Guan

Age: 31
Division: Featherweight
Record: 16-1-1
Opponent: Alex Caceres

Despite his billing as a top prospect, Guan's signing is more a product of the UFC's increasingly desperate efforts to put a stamp on the Chinese market than his exploits in the cage. That being said, the 31-year-old can make his mark at featherweight with a few tweaks to his game.

Not only have Guan's dozen stoppage wins come via strikes against grapplers with clunky standup that often manage to get him to the mat (they shouldn't), but much like Salikhov, he offers next to nothing in the way of a threat off his back, rarely angling for sweeps and often escaping on sheer strength.

The Chinese native's takedown defense is far from stout - a flaw Bekbulat Magomedov repeatedly exploited to hand him his only career defeat four years ago - although a busier jab and dialed up combinations would go a long way toward earning more respect for his mitts and keeping grapplers honest.

But Guan will have a far more foreign charge to worry about when he meets Alex Caceres in his promotional debut. Between his movement, high output and, zany techniques, Caceres will overwhelm Guan on the feet unlike any of his previous opposition and likely cruise to a lopsided decision. That is unless the debutant flashes some never-before-seen mat skills and becomes the latest of a laundry list of fighters to expose Caceres' porous submission defense.

Prediction: Guan falls to Caceres and sees future foes follow the blueprint Magomedov drafted to beat him in his next few fights. Barring any sudden improvements in his game or favorable stylistic matchups, his UFC run ends after a handful of trips to the Octagon.

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