Contender Series Week 1: Mansur Abdul-Malik vs. Wes Schultz kicks off the card in the men’s flyweight division between An Tuan Ho and Lone’er Kavanagh. Ho comes into this fight undefeated winning all six of his professional bouts meanwhile, Kavanagh also comes into his appearance on the Contender Series undefeated winning all six of his bouts. With that said, check out our UFC odds series for our Ho-Kavanagh prediction and pick.
An Tuan Ho (6-0) is a very experienced fighter looking to make a statement in his appearance on the Contender Series. After winning all seven of his amateur fights he did one better winning all six of his professional bouts which got him the call to fight on this season of the Contender Series. Ho will be looking to make a good first impression when he takes on the undefeated Lone’er Kavanagh.
Lone’er Kavanagh (6-0) is one of the top flyweight prospects out of the United Kingdom where he trains at Great Britain Top Team under the tutelage of “One Punch” Brad Pickett. He spent the majority of his time fighting under the Cage Warriors banner where he amassed a 4-0 record with two knockouts. He will now look to add another highlight reel knockout to his resume when he takes on the unbeaten An Tuan Ho on Tuesday night.
Here are the Contender Series UFC Odds, courtesy of DraftKings.
UFC Contender Series Odds: An Tuan Ho-Lone’er Kavanagh Odds
An Tuan Ho: +160
Lone’er Kavanagh: -192
*Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why An Tuan Ho Will Win
An Tuan Ho is now riding 13 straight victories into this Contender Series appearance with 7 of the wins coming as an amateur and 6 of them coming as a professional. He has been one of the top flyweight prospects coming out of the LFA organization where he has spent his entire professional career. He is coming off a dominant performance his last time out where he defeated Miguel Sanson via unanimous decision and now he will be looking to keep his undefeated record intact when he takes on fellow unbeaten flyweight Lone-er Kavanagh.
Ho is an exceptional striker who utilizes his blend of speed and power very well. He is in and out of range within a blink of an eye making it difficult for his opponents to counter his strikes. His ability to mix his strikes from the legs to the body to the head will serve him well against a fighter like Kavanagh who’s normally head hunting out there. While this fight may be a striking affair, if anyone is to mix in the takedowns it will be Ho in this fight which could be the difference maker. As long as Ho doesn’t allow Kavanagh to dictate the pace of this fight and presses forward he can get the biggest win of his career and a potential contract along with it.
Why Lone’er Kavanagh Will Win
Lone’er Kavanagh has been the talk of Cage Warriors promotion for the last two years where he compiled a 4-0 record with the promotion with two knockouts. Much like An Tuan Ho, Kavanagh had extensive amateur experience and turned pro with a 2-2-2 record. Now, he is undefeated as a pro and looks like a true prospect dispatching four of his six opponents before it hits the judge’s scorecards. Kavanagh will be looking to keep his undefeated record intact when he takes on fellow unbeaten An Tuan Ho to open up this season of the Contender Series.
Kavanagh is a dangerous striker who loves to come forward and put pressure on his opponents. By putting his opponents on their back foot it allows him to faint to draw out attacks from his opposition and then fire back after he slips and rips it. That type of forward pressure will pay dividends in this matchup against Ho who likes to fight at range where he can utilize his speed, movement, and kicks. Kavanagh also will be the one landing the more impactful strikes so if Kavanagh pushes the pace and lets his hands go he has a good chance of landing something flush on Ho and potentially putting him away to be awarded with a UFC contract.
Final An Tuan Ho-Lone’er Kavanagh Prediction & Pick
This is an exceptional fight to kickstart the new season of the Contender Series with these two high-level flyweight competitors. Both fighters love to come forward and throw caution to the wind looking for the finish which should make for a closely contested matchup throughout. Ultimately, the speed of Ho will be the difference maker in this fight and Kavanagh will have an issue trying to cut off the cage as Ho goes out there and mixes it up with different attacks while his movement keeps him out of harm’s way as he outstrikes Kavanagh to a decision victory.
Final An Tuan Ho-Lone’er Kavanagh Prediction & Pick: An Tuan Ho (+160)
Follow Us
Subscribe