I am thinking Oliver Enkamp has a bit of value with the heavy underdog tag. Taleb is solid, but also beatable. I'll give you my thoughts on how the newcomer can pull off the upset as well as who he is.
Taleb/Enkamp
The “Combat Kid” is a flawless 7-0 inhis professional career and while Sherdog only lists a single fight on his amateur record, he's actually had 9 successful bouts. The young Swede has been training in various forms of mixed martial arts since he was five years old. Specifically Muay Thai and Karate. He has traversed the globe making pit stops at the most estimable MMA facilities on earth. Namely he's worked extensively with Tiger Muay Thai and the prestigious Alliance Training Center.
Enkamp is a 23-year-old karate fighter with speed and power and his striking and flexibility and quick twitch muscle fibers to help his underwriters submission grappling game. With four subs Enkampt owns a venomous grappling attack.
I mean this in the most positive way when I say he actually reminds you of a male Rose Namajunas. This is because like Namajunas, the Swedish karate stylist will jump for flying armbars and possesses an a wicked guard game. Fluid, pliable and dynamic, Enkamp is always threatening from his back. Be it throwing up triangles or consistently rotating his hips for armbars, he's always fishing for something.
Standing, he has that Wonderboy/Scoggins-esque Karateka style where he is incessantly bouncing on the balls of his feet and throwing kicks and punches from multiple angles. A deft striker, Enkamp will throw one strike, angle out, and land the forceful blow. He is patient but still aggressive as he lights his opponents up with his quick blitzes or sharp counters.
His kicking arsenal is vast and includes two famous attacks. The first being the Bill "Superfoot" Wallace special. This is where he effortlessly lifts his lead right leg off the mat and with a quick snapping motion gets full extension on the kick as he wallops his man upside the head.
The second is the infamous Uriah Hall spinning heel-kick. i.e. The TUF shot seen 'round the world. i.e. The highlight reel blow that plays in Adam Cella's set to the tune of O Fortuna playing in the background.. He is a pinpoint accurate striker with his kicks and punches and with his excellent grappling he's not afraid to empty the clip.
The biggest liability for Enkamp this weekend isn't that he's taking the fight on short notice but rather the size discrepancy. We have a gigantic Welterweight fighting a natural Lightweight.
Physically Taleb is the much bigger man, but he's also a plodder who can be exploited by a faster man. If this Karateka Enkamp uses his speed and stays on the outside he can steal two of three rounds.
So aside from the size disadvantage, most disconcerting is Enkamp's feeble takedown defense. Even on the regional circuit — against unpolished grapplers/wrestlers — Enkamp has been grounded far too easily. Fortunately, he understands his shortcomings and doesn't expend a ton of unnecessary energy fighting it. Instead he takes the Louis Smolka approach and accepts the takedown and then use his jui-jitsu to work his way back up or to an advantageous position.
If taken down it isn't a death sentence. Enkamp has the ability to extricate himself from Taleb's clutches. Be it with sweeps and/or scrambles. Furthermore, while unlikely as it is, if Taleb doesn't take Enkamp's BJJ seriously, the Canuck could find himself tapping out. Astonished. Shocked. Enkamp has very quick hips and could recreate a Pettis/Bendo II moment if he's slept on.
Ultimately I believe that the Canadian wins the fight but at his ridiculously +300 price tag I believe the hometown kid is worth a flyer.
