UFC 294 Betting Tips: Best bets for Abu Dhabi card
The UFC makes its annual trip to Abu Dhabi, with an altered UFC 294 card taking ownership of the combat sports world this week.
UK fight fans can rejoice in the fact that the action takes place at the reasonable time of 7pm on Saturday 21st October which is included in existing TNT Sports subscription packages.
Take a look below at our tips for October's main card, including best bets for the main event between Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski and the co-main contested by Kamaru Usman and Khamzat Chimaev.
UFC 294 Tips
Johnny Walker To Beat Magomed Ankalaev
The third billed fight of the evening sees number two ranked light heavyweight contender Magomed Ankalaev face off with the enigmatic Johnny Walker in a perceived title eliminator.
Dagestani Ankalaev last fought 10 months ago when he frustrated a packed Las Vegas crowd and the powers that be in a dull draw with Jan Blachowicz for the vacant title.
In Johnny Walker's case, he enters having ran through Ion Cutelaba and Paul Craig before beating Anthony Smith by unanimous decision back in May.
Walker hasn't always been in the right headspace or fully fit when entering the octagon, hence why he's experienced some disappointing losses along the road of being a serious title contender at 205lbs. But if the fighter we know he can be turns up without any confusion about mentality or fitness, he has more ways to win this fight than his counterpart.
Kamaru Usman vs Khamzat Chimaev To Go the Distance
Complications with Paulo Costa's elbow surgery sees former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman step in as a last-minute replacement in the co-main event, and things have arguably become even more exciting in the final fight before Saturday's headliner.
Both men make the introductory jump up to middleweight for a future shot at the 185lbs title. Size isn't expected to play an advantage for either of these two fighters who have previously held advantages in the division below when cutting to fight at welterweight.
"The Wolf" puts his 0 on the line against the former welterweight champ whose status as one of only two fighters to start at 15-0 in the organisation has thrusted him into the conversation of MMA greats. It's easy to forget his dominance in the wake of Leon Edwards handing him two consecutive defeats in the space of seven months, which is testament to the new champion's abilities rather than any indictment on Usman's resolve or his abilities at age 36.
Between Chimaev's rampaging style and Usman's excellent takedown defence - an organisation high of 97.3% - there's a feeling that these two might cancel each other. "The Nigerian Nightmare" has clearly displayed his ability to go the distance in fights, boasting an average welterweight fight time of 17:35 - the second longest in divisional history.
When two wrestlers meet things usually play out on the feet which we anticipate being evenly-matched in Saturday's co-main event, with the judges left to determine the winner of this one.
Alexander Volkanovski To Beat Islam Makhachev
In line with backing the underdog we're tipping Alexander Volkanovski to achieve double champ status in his rematch with lightweight belt holder Islam Makhachev.
On only 10 days notice as Charles Oliveira's replacement Volk carries none of the pressure or expectation in this weekend's main event. Many, including ourselves, believed he did enough to have his hand raised Down Under in this pair's first meeting in February, however, the judges scored it unanimously in favour of the champ.
"The Great" was able to thwart almost all of his adversary's takedown attempts previously and dealt with his submission game incredibly well across all five rounds.
What we're likely to see in this rerun of the Perth headliner is an imbued Volkanovski who will show less respect for the king at 155lbs and go all out in his attempts to score a stoppage victory.
For those who wish to combine all three selections, bet365 are the best priced bookmaker for placing the treble at odds of 26/1.
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