UFC 138 Fight Card: 3 Things You Need to Know About Newcomer Papy Abedi

On Saturday, November 5th, 2011, Papy Abedi will be stepping into the UFC Octagon for the first time in his short-lived career.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship wasted no time in putting Abedi in the spotlight, as he will be squaring off with one of the world's best welterweights in Thiago Alves.

Abedi is currently 33 years old and fights out of Stockholm, Sweden.

Unfortunately for UFC fans across the globe, Abedi is not yet a familiar face to many, as he only fights two times a year on average.

However, here is your chance to learn more about the UFC newcomer.

The following slides display three things you need to know about Papy Abedi.

Let's take a look.

He's Never Been Beaten

Abedi entered the sport of mixed martial arts in December of 2006 when he took on Mikael Pastor in his MMA debut.

After dominating Pastor for the first round-and-a-half, Abedi finished off his opponent via technical knockout midway through the second frame.

Following the first win of his fighting career, Abedi went on to win seven consecutive fights, as he continued to establish himself as a well-known middleweight overseas.

Abedi currently stands with a perfect 8-0 record and will look to continue his success in arguably the toughest matchup he's ever had in Alves.

He's Never Fought at Welterweight

Abedi has never participated in a welterweight bout, as his entire career has been fought in the 185-pound weight class.

However, when Abedi steps inside the octagon on November 5th, he won't only be making his UFC debut but his welterweight debut as well.

To Abedi's advantage, he was already one of the strongest middleweight fighters even before making the drop to 170 pounds.

The only disadvantage "Makambo" may have is matching up against Alves' speed, as he is one of the quickest fighters in mixed martial arts today.

He's an Underrated Striker

When many fans think of Abedi's skill set, they think of him overpowering his opponent with his strength and takedown abilities.

However, Abedi is also one of the most underrated strikers in mixed martial arts, as he's improved leaps and bounds from when he first entered the Octagon.

In fact, of Abedi's eight career victories, he's finished off his opponent five times via knockout.

While his first choice of preference would be to overwhelm his opponent with his strength, Abedi can certainly stand toe to toe with most opponents.