UFC Abu Dhabi: Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov continues on the prelims with a fight in the light heavyweight division between Alonzo Menifield and Azamat Murzakanov. Menifield is coming off a brutal 12-second knockout defeat in his last fight meanwhile, Murzakanov is still undefeated winning all 13 of his fights most recently getting a unanimous decision victory in his last bout. With that said, check out our UFC odds series for our Menifield-Murzakanov prediction and pick.
Alonzo Menifield (15-4-1) was riding high coming into his last matchup winning four out of the last five fights but that was short-lived when he met up with Carlos Ulberg. He fought fire with fire and it didn’t end well for him as Ulberg absolutely starched him in just 12 seconds in the first round. Menifield will be looking to get back on track when he takes on the dangerous undefeated prospect Azamat Murzakanov this weekend in Abu Dhabi.
Azamat Murzakanov (13-0) secured his contract in the UFC with a brutal first-round knockout on the Contender Series. Since then he has won all three of his fights in the Octagon, most recently dominating longtime UFC veteran Dustin Jacoby in his last fight. After withdrawing from one fight and getting pneumonia before another fight, this will be Murzankov’s first fight in 16 months as he looks to keep his undefeated record intact when he takes on Alonzo Menifield this weekend.
Here are the UFC Abu Dhabi Odds, courtesy of BetOnline.
UFC Abu Dhabi Odds: Alonzo Menifield-Azamat Murzakanov Odds
Alonzo Menifield: +167
Azamat Murzakanov: -192
Over 1.5 rounds: -145
Under 1.5 rounds: +115
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Why Alonzo Menifield Will Win
Alonzo Menifield was riding high coming into his high-profile matchup with Carlos Ulberg with wins in four out of his last five fights. However, things didn’t quite as planned in his fight with Carlos Ulberg as he got starched before even getting going just 12 seconds into the fight. It was quite an odd gameplan for Menifield but he will get the chance to right his wrong when he steps inside the Octagon to take on Azamat Murzakanov this weekend in Abu Dhabi.
Menifield went from a powerful knockout artist to a well-rounded light heavyweight contender. He has shown that he can land his heavy strikes on the feet but also use his wrestling to take the fight to the mat and finish the job there as well. Against Murzakanov in this fight, he’s going to need to bring out the entire bag of tricks that he possesses to come away with the win. That means he’s going to need to come forward, push the pace, land heavy strikes, and take the fight to the mat. If he can mix things up and not let Muzakanov get comfortable in there he can get the job done and get back into the win column this weekend.
Why Azamat Murzakanov Will Win
Azama Murzakanov remains unbeaten at 13-0 in his professional career with 3 of those wins coming inside the Octagon. His best performance to date is when he defeated Dustin Jacoby in his last fight where he made Jacoby look like an amateur in his own game. He will be looking to continue his rise in the light heavyweight division when he takes on Alonzo Menifield this weekend.
Azamat Murzakanov is certainly not the most physically imposing light heavyweight contender just standing in at 5’10” with a 71.5″ reach but he makes up for his lack of size with the power and speed that he possesses on the feet. Even someone as big and as technical on the feet as Dustin Jacoby had a ton of issues with the power and the speed of Murzakanov which could cause the same problems for Menifield in this fight. As long as Murzakanov can maintain his cardio for the duration of this fight he should be able to land the more impactful shots as the fight progresses potentially putting him away in the process.
Final Alonzo Menifield-Azamat Murzakanov Prediction & Pick
This light heavyweight matchup should be a barnburner for however long it lasts. Ultimately, Menifield will land some shots early while looking for the takedowns but at space, it will be Murazakanov who will be landing the heavier shots and who will be picking up the pace as the fight continues where he will either put Menifield away or outwork him over the course of the fight to get his 14th win of his career and remain unbeaten.
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Final Alonzo Menifield-Azamat Murzakanov Prediction & Pick: Azamat Murzakanov (-192), Under 1.5 Rounds (-145)
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