[jwplayer 7Mas5x35]
Omari Akhmedov and Chris Weidman go toe-to-toe in a middleweight bout on the main card at UFC on ESPN+ 32 Saturday at the UFC’s APEX Facility in Las Vegas. The prelims kick off at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+, followed by the main card set for 9 p.m. ET.
Want to place a bet on UFC on ESPN+ 32? Place bets at BetMGM online in CO, IN, NJ and WV! New customer offer: Risk-free first bet! Visit BetMGM for terms and conditions. Bet now!
Akhmedov (20-4-1) heads into this one with a five-inch reach disadvantage, and he is two inches shorter, too. The Russian is 5-0-1 across his past six bouts, including 3-0-1 as a middleweight, with all of those fights going the distance. He ranks ninth among the middleweight class in bottom position time at 1:55, but that might be put to the test since Weidman (14-5) likes to go the canvas frequently. Akhmedov is tied for the division lead with Thales Leites with 37 takedowns landed, and he is fifth among middleweights with a 52.1 takedown-accuracy percentage. As such, Akhmedov has his work cut out for him.
Weidman enters in a freefall, losing five of his past six fights. One might see that and assume it’s going to be Akhmedov as the slam-dunk play, but Weidman’s losses are against Luke Rockhold for the strap at UFC 194, as well as knockout losses to Yoel Romero, Gegard Mousasi, Jacare Souza and Dominick Reyes, the cream of the crop among the class. Weidman has a submission win against Kelvin Gastelum along the way, and has seven consecutive fights to finish inside the distance.
Also see:
Omari Akhmedov vs. Chris Weidman betting odds
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Friday at 8:10 p.m. ET.
AKHMEDOV (+115) is a short dog worth paying attention to, as Weidman (-137) staggers in on a skid. It’s premature to say the 36-year-old Weidman is done, but he clearly isn’t championship caliber any longer. He is a name, and that’s likely why he is favored in this one against Akhmedov. The Russian will be able to match Weidman’s grappling skills and stretch out the fight, doing enough to win the judges over for a unanimous decision victory. As such, back AKHMEDOV TO WIN VIA DECISION (+350) on the 5-way line, and also grab YES (-106): WILL THE FIGHT GO THE DISTANCE?
To watch the full card, sign up for ESPN+ now.
If you want some action on this MMA bout, place your wagers at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and analysis, visit SportsbookWire.com.
Follow @JoeWilliamsVI on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=2559]