In featherweight bout, Hakeem Dawodu and Zubaira Tukhugov tangle at UFC 253 Saturday at the UFC’s Fight Island facility in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The prelims kick off at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2/ESPN+, followed by the main card set for 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view: Subscribe to the PPV at ESPN+ now.
Dawodu (11-1-1) checks into this bout with a 5½-inch reach advantage in this featherweight tussle. He tends to drop a flurry of punches on his opponents, posting 5.28 significant strikes landed per minute in his five bouts at the UFC level with a 46.61 significant strikes-accuracy percentage. He is coming off a split-decision win over Julio Arce at UFC 244, and while he has four consecutive victories, three of the four have gone the distance with one KO/TKO.
Tukhugov (19-4-1) will be looking to take Dawodu to the canvas as soon as possible. It’s where Tukhugov holds a decisive advantage. He has a 2.88 takedown average and a 56.52 takedown-accuracy percentage. Tukhugov is 4-1-1 in his six bouts at the UFC level, including a first-round KO/TKO last time out against Kevin Aguilar on Feb. 22. Four of his six fights at the UFC level have gone the distance, too.
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Hakeem Dawodu vs. Zubaira Tukhugov betting odds
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 6:28 a.m. ET.
DAWODU (+120) is a nice option as a short dog on the 2-way line, as he has tremendous punching power which will help him win the day, although he’ll definitely have to work for it. Tukhugov (-143) is also a solid puncher, and he is a strong grappler, too, so Dawodu will want to avoid going to the mat.
Roll the dice on DAWODU BY KO/TKO, DQ or SUBMISSION (+480), too, as you can almost multiple your stake by five times if he can deliver inside the distance. If you were to bet DAWODU BY DECISION/TECHNICAL DECISION (+210) as a hedge against the first 5-way line bet, you wouldn’t lose much than just betting the 2-way line. But if Dawodu comes through by knockout or tap, you win big. It’s worth the small price.
Also see:
- UFC 253: Adesanya vs. Costa odds, picks and best bets
- UFC 253: Reyes vs. Blachowicz odds, picks and best bets
- How to watch UFC 253: Adesanya vs. Costa; viewing guide
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- UFC 253 predictions (MMA Junkie)
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