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Beneil Dariush and Scott Holtzman lock horns in a lightweight 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.
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Dariush (18-4-1) heads into this one inch taller than his opponent with a three-inch reach advantage. After being stunned by Alexander Hernandez via KO/TKO in 42 seconds at UFC 222 on March 3, 2018, the Iranian southpaw has rattled off four consecutive victories, including three straight wins inside the distance. During that span he has a pair of submission wins, and he knocked out Drakkar Klose at UFC 248 on March 7 in his most recent showing. For what it’s worth, he has fought on this exact date before, topping Michael Johnson in a split-decision win on Aug. 8, 2015, and he is 2-0 in his career in the month of August.
Holtzman (14-3) – a.k.a. “Hot Sauce” – is on a two-bout win streak after dumping Jim Miller by unanimous decision in Rio Rancho, N.M., last time out on Feb. 15. Unlike Dariush, who has lately been finishing fights early, Holtzman has gone the distance in two of the past three, and seven of the previous eight bouts. Holtzman is normally keen on taking it to the mat, as he ranks sixth in the division among active fighters with a 60.0 takedown-accuracy percentage. However, Dariush is a submission specialist and he has 1.8 takedowns per 15 minutes with eight tap-out wins among his 18 pro wins.
Also see:
- Holtzman targets knockout win (MMA Junkie)
- MMA Junkie – The latest UFC/MMA coverage
Beneil Dariush vs. Scott Holtzman betting odds
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Friday at 8:30 p.m. ET.
DARIUSH (-186) is a heavy favorite, mainly because he has several avenues to victory. He has recorded eight wins by way of submission, four victories by KO/TKO and has been successful in six other fights going the distance. He has at least one win in each of those methods during his four-bout winning streak. It’s uncertain how he’ll get it done against Holtzman (+155), but he will stay on his upward trajectory as he tries to position himself, eventually, for a title shot.
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