Fight Night Friday wit Tha Dogg , PPV UFC 294 - VOLKANOVSKI VS. MAKHACHEV
- P4 Tha Dogg
- Oct 20, 2023
- 3 min read
Etihad Arena, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi
October 21, 2023
All betting odds are from Caesars Sportsbook
Please bet responsibly and within your means.
Fight Card
Main Card
Bantamweight: Russian Said Nurmagomedov Vs. Tajik Muin Gafurov
Said Nurmagomedov (N/A) faces Muin Gafurov (+220). With both coming off of unanimous decision losses, both these fighters are looking to get back in the win column. Both do not like to go the distance but both also have never been finished. I expect that to change. Fight Island is virtually a home bout for these Russian fighters so I expect a submission from Said.
Middleweight: Russian #11 Ikram Aliskerov Vs. Brazilian Warlley Alves
Ikram Aliskerov (N/A) takes on Warlley Alves (N/A). The 30 year old Ikram has an impressive record of 14-1 with his only loss being a knockout KO before his time in the UFC to rising star Khamzat Chimaev. Warlley on the other hand is a 32 year old journey man with a less impressive 14-6 record. Coming off back to back losses and losing his last 4 of 6 this is a weird matchup that should easily favor Ikram.
Magomed Ankalaev (-355) challenges Johnny Walker (+290). Magomed is coming off a draw against former champ Jan Blachowicz but was on a hot streak beating many former contenders. Johnny Walker however has put together a win streak of his own including beating Anthony Smith earlier this year. This is one of the closer matches of the day but I expect Magomed to continue to dominate his opponents.
Khamzat Chimaev (-325) finally returns against Kamaru Usman (+280). Khamzat has looked unbeatable in his UFC fights and he is, at 12-0 in professional fights Khamzat is one of the rising stars of the industry. Kamaru is on the opposite trajectory, after starting as one of the most accomplished welterweight champions in UFC history he has lost back to back to current champ Leon Edwards. Usman returning to his college wrestling weight of 185 (84kg) could bode well for him. I still expect domination from Khamzat.
Lightweight: Russian Champion Islam Makhachev Vs. Aussie Champion (Featherweight) Alexander Volkanovski
Islam Makhachev (-245) comes into this championship rematch with Alexander Volkanovski (+210). Isman is one of the few worldwide superstars in the UFC and even having to wait behind is training partner Khabib Nurmagomedov, with those big shoes to fill Islam has still stepped up to the plate and showed up. Alexander was Islam’s hardest fight in his words but with the short notice I expect the champ to keep his belt. Alexander is maybe the greatest featherweight in history but lightweight is Islam’s domain. If King Kong can make 155 on the 21st Islam will win.
Card Expectations:
With all the turnover on this card over the last few weeks there is at least one thing to look forward to this weekend. Hasbulla! Hasbi is off house arrest and in the UAE for this fight and is expected to corner his good buddy Islam Makhachev. Hasbulla has trained Islam to a world championship and with his assistant coach, former UFC champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov, they have one of the most accomplished coaching staffs in all of sports. Even with the star of the show being a spectator, there are some, if not great, interesting fights to watch this weekend. Usman is making his return to the cage, Khamzat will fight and the always entertaining Johnny Walker is making another run at the middleweight championship. Our locks are way in the green (4-2) and that will continue with Khamzat Chimaev and Islam Makhachev.
Enjoy the card and drink responsibly.
Kommentare