UFC Fight Night Preview: Paul Felder vs Rafael dos Anjos

Another Saturday means another night of high quality UFC action, and Rafael dos Anjos will step back into the octagon this weekend to take on Paul Felder at the UFC Apex. The card was changed earlier this week after Islam Makhachev was forced to pull out due to a staph infection, but it will still be an intriguing battle this weekend as Paul Felder was brought in to replace Makhachev.

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UFC Fight Night Preview

This will be a massive opportunity for Paul Felder as he will be challenging one of the most dynamic fighters in the UFC. Dos Anjos was scheduled to take on Makhachev earlier in the year, but was pulled from the October bout after testing positive for the coronavirus. The eagerly anticipated bout with Makhachev will need to wait, and he could have his work cut out against Felder.

Dos Anjos hasn’t been in excellent form in the UFC for the past two years, as he has lost on four appearances in the octagon and has won just once. The sole victory during this run came against Kevin Lee, as he won by submission in the fourth round. Dos Anjos has come up against talented fighters during this run, as he has lost to both Colby Covington and Kamaru Usman. Both of these fights went to a decision, while that was also the case for his most recent defeats against Leon Edwards and Michael Chiesa.

Felder is rated as the seventh-best fighter in the lightweight division, and has proven ability in MMA after challenging for numerous Cage Fury Fighting Championships throughout his career. His recent results in the UFC have also been promising, as he has won two from three appearances in the octagon. However, he was beaten by split decision in his most recent fight against Dan Hooker. That fight was awarded the Fight of the Night award, which highlights that this will be an entertaining bout for MMA fans to look forward to.

Felder’s last two wins both came in 2019, as he beat Edson Barboza by split decision in September, and James Vick by unanimous decision in February. He has won 17 from 22 professional fights, with ten of these being won by knockout. Meanwhile, dos Anjos has won 29 of his 42 professional fights. He has lost his last two by decision, while he has also lost three times throughout his career by knockout.

Paul Felder vs Rafael dos Anjos Pick

Felder has a very good professional record, which means that his price of 1.38 with BetXChange could be interesting for gamblers. It is a huge price considering the talent of the seventh-ranked fighter in the ratings. Dos Anjos is priced at 0.47 with BetXChange, but we fancy the outsider to win this fight.

Pick: Paul Felder at 1.38 with BetXChange.