We're back with another betting prediction and pick for UFC Vegas 110, covering the Featured Prelim of the night happening in the Light Heavyweight (205) Division. Las Vegas' own Billy Elekana will take on Kevin Christian of Brazil in an exciting bout to cap-off the prelims. Check our UFC odds series for the Elekana-Christian prediction and pick.
Billy Elekana (8-2) has gone 1-1 through his first two UFC appearances, most recently earning his first promotional win via unanimous decision over Ibo Aslan. He comes in the significant betting favorite and will look to mount a win streak against a debuting prospect. Elekana stands 6-foot-3 with a 77-inch reach.
Kevin Christian (9-2) will make his UFC debut following a successful submission win for a contract on Dana White's Contender Series. He's managed to finish his last five consecutive fights and poses an interesting challenge for Elekana as a hungry prospect. Christian stands 6-foot-7 with an 80-inch reach.
Here are the UFC Vegas 110 Odds, courtesy of DraftKings.
UFC Vegas 110 Odds: Billy Elekana-Kevin Christian Odds
Billy Elekana: -265
Kevin Christian: +215
Over 1.5 rounds: -140
Under 1.5 rounds: +110
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Why Billy Elekana Will Win
- Last Fight: (W) Ibo Aslan – U DEC
- Last 5: 4-1
- Finishes: 3 KO/TKO, 1 SUB
Billy Elekana controlled his last fight for all three rounds, deterring an aggressive striker in Ibo Aslan with fundamental defense and attention to the leg kicks. He sits low in his stance and is always ready for offense coming back his way, so he should be defensively responsible against the debuting fighter. Elekana will want to keep this fight standing given his opponent's jiu jitsu background and his own previous loss by submission.
Of course, Elekana will have to work against a much taller opponent, which he's not very accustomed to at 6-foot-3. Mentioning his lower stance once again, Elekana may have to adjust his approach against a 6-foot-7 opponent. This would be another great situation to turn towards the legs kicks repeatedly and hinder Christian's lateral movements.
Elekana will be the faster, more agile striker and will find success if he's able to dance around Christian's movement. It'll be interesting to see if Elekana is keen to close the distance and engage along the fence, but his recent fights suggest he's much more comfortable trading shots in the striking and trying to dictate the distance.
Why Kevin Christian Will Win
- Last Fight: (W) Francesco Mazzeo – SUB (triangle armbar, R2)
- Last 5: 5-0
- Finishes: 3 KO/TKO, 5 SUB
Kevin Christian comes in following a successful DWCS audition where he submitted his opponent with a triangle armbar. Standing 6-foot-7, one may not assume that Christian is much of a submission threat. However, he holds a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt and owns half of his pro MMA wins by way of submission. During his DWCS, his long legs allowed him to switch submission attempts and finish the fight, a clear sign he knowns how to use his size as an advantage.
While still relatively new onto the pro MMA scene, Christian has a ton of potential to become a problem with rare blend of size and grappling ability. Fellow Brazilian Jailton Almeida is seeing similar success at heavyweight, so don't be surprised if Christian is able to make a big statement as the underdog.
Still, his striking is a ways away from being championship level, so it'll be interesting to see how he fares standing across from Elekana. It'll also be interesting to see if he initiates the grappling exchanges opposite his opponent given his height advantage. Either way, don't be surprised if Christian accepts a takedown and looks comfortable on the ground doing so.
Final Billy Elekana-Kevin Christian Prediction & Pick
This should be a fun fight between two budding prospects with a ton of potential. Billy Elekana is the better striker in this matchup by a significant margin, but the same can be said of Kevin Christian and his submission grappling. Ultimately, it'll be interesting to see how Elekana deals with the height discrepancy when trying to close the distance.
If this fight hits the ground, Kevin Christian will be in a great spot to threaten Elekana with submissions from the bottom, using his long legs to trap his opponent and transition through his offense. Still, he'll have to beware of Elekana posturing up and raining down strikes from the top.
For our final prediction, it's worth taking a shot on the underdog as the betting lines should be a bit closer. The UFC put debuting Kevin Christian in this spot for a reason and we can expect him to show up very motivated. His submission capability will be the storyline throughout this fight and I think Elekana will seriously struggle with the height difference in the striking. Let's take a chance on the underdog in this fight.
Final Billy Elekana-Kevin Christian Prediction & Pick: Kevin Christian (+215)
