Given that he’s had just seven professional fights, it’s fair to note that Pericic remains a work in progress, but that’s part of the draw as well. He’s done this well, this quickly, with limited experience, so it’s reasonable to forecast growth as he gets more reps in the Octagon and more time on the mats at City Kickboxing.
Gaziev represents a step up from his previous two opponents as he’s registered three UFC wins and been in there with a couple Top 10 opponents already. He has thrived on being the bigger, more powerful man in the Octagon, but that won’t be the case against Pericic, so it will be interesting to see how he deals with those things this weekend.
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If Pericic can pick up a third straight win — and especially if he does it with style points — it wouldn’t be surprising to see him get an accelerated push in the rankings as the picture in the heavyweight division starts to clear.
Cam Rowston
Pericic isn’t the only City Kickboxing representative highlighted here this week, as his teammate Rowston has come out of the gate equally hot as he heads into his third UFC start on Saturday opposite Robert Bryczek. Since coming up short in his first appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series, Rowston has six straight wins — two on the regional circuit, another in his contract-winning turn last season on DWCS, and then two more in each of his first two UFC appearances.