The bout between Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev will decide the new light heavyweight champion, with Jiri Prochazka being out of the picture due to his terrible shoulder injury.
These two guys are the best in the division at the moment, and that is something that nobody can question. Blachowicz was already a champion, while Ankalaev is the guy who is on a meteoric rise.
Besides this event, we have two more interesting ones, which include Paddy Pimblett and Jarred Gordon and Darren Till and Dricus du Plessis.
Stay tuned for some BetXchange odds, picks, and previews.
Blachowicz VS Ankalaev
Blachowicz was one of the most dominant figures in the light heavyweight until his loss to Glover, which stripped him of his title. The Pole was on an excellent streak, winning five in a row, and right now, he has 10 victories in the past 12 bouts.
The most recent bout this guy has was against Aleksandar Rakic, and that one ended with Rakic’s knee injury in the third round, with the scorecards being more or less close up until that point. The Polish Power beat guys like Krylov, Anderson, Souza, Reyes, whom he obliterated, Israel Adesanya, Cannonier, Manuwa etc.
His extremely powerful hoks and straights are probably the strongest in the division, and we haven’t seen too many guys who can break down their rivals with one shot. Also, Blachowicz is very solid with leg kicks, especially in the midsection. As for grappling, it isn’t at the highest level, but he knows to control the situation on the mat against average wrestlers.
As for Anakalaev, many would think that he is a great wrestler, but he is an exception when it comes to fighters coming from Russia. The thing here is that he is a superb puncher as well, a great wrestler, and isn’t as one-dimensional as many would believe.
After losing the first bout in the UFC, Ankalaev went on a nine-fight streak, which saw him winning against guys like Abreu, Cutelaba, whom he knocked out twice, Oezdemir, Thiago Santos, and at last, Anthony Smith, at the UFC 277. It was a second-round TKO, that forced everyone to put Ankalaev in title talks.
The difference between these two guys is that it seems that Ankalaev is more agile than the Pole, while on the other side, Blachowicz has more experience. Also, in stand-up, we give a slight edge to Jan, but on the ground, Anakalaev should have an advantage.
Overall, our pick here would be Ankalaev due to his slightly better cardio, and his overall ability to create space and positions for the attack, while Blachowicz waits for the rivals’ mistake.
Pick: Ankalaev 1/3 at BetXChange
Pimblett VS Gordon
This is the biggest fight so far for Paddy Pimblett, who is on pace to become one of the top five stars in the UFC. That’s partial because of his fighting skills and also due to his off-octagon activities and personality.
Gordon got another chance to go after the elite of the UFC. He was a Cage Warriors champion (featherweight), but each time he attacked one of the top lightweights in the UFC, he lost.
This is the matchup that will reveal Pimblett’s abilities because Gordon might be limited, yet he is one solid gatekeeper. In this case, we don’t think that Paddy will finish the bout before the final horn, though he will win via decision.
Pick: Pimblett 2/5 via BetXchange
Till vs. Du Plessis
Darren Till is getting back to the octagon following a solid pause. The Englishman was once one of the biggest talents of the sport, in the mix for winning both the welter and middleweight title, but he collapsed. He has had four defeats in the past five bouts, and overall, his career is on the decline.
On the other side, Du Plessis is on the rise. The South African terminator has one of the best physiques in the division and maybe the entire UFC. At this point, he really lacks a bit more cardio, but with all the muscles, that’s hard to catch.
In this particular case, we go with Du Plessis who is an animal, unlike Till who struggles with injuries in the past few years.
Pick: Du Plessis 4/7 at BetXchange
