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Contender Series Week 1 continues with a fight between Murtaza Talha and Baysangur Susurkaev in the middleweight division on Tuesday. Check out our Contender Series odds series for our Talha-Susurkaev prediction and pick.
Murtaza Talha (7-1) punched his ticket to Contender Series with a thunderous first-round TKO of Oleg Klimov at BFC 81 in February, rebounding from his only career loss to Rodolfo Bellato in late 2023. Talha now looks to keep the momentum rolling when he faces Baysangur Susurkaev this Tuesday night.
Baysangur Susurkaev (8-0) enters the Contender Series riding a wave of momentum, having stopped Irakli Kuchukhidze via second-round TKO at Fury FC 102 this February, following a dominant unanimous decision victory over Shane Sobnosky last November. Now, Susurkaev aims to impress with another statement win against Murtaza Talha this Tuesday night.
Here are the Contender Series Week 1 Odds, courtesy of DraftKings.
UFC Contender Series Odds: Murtaza Talha-Baysangur Susurkaev Odds
Murtaza Talha: +250
Baysangur Susurkaev: -310
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Why Murtaza Talha will win
- Last Fight: (W) Oleg Klimov – KO/TKO R1
- Last 5: 4-1
- Finishes: 7 (4 KO/TKO/3 SUB)
Murtaza Talha tried his luck on season 7 of Contender Series back in 2023, where he was ultimately knocked out against Rodolfo Bellato in the second round. After just one brutal finish on the regional scene of Oleg Klimov, he got the call to fight on season 9.
Talha was originally scheduled to take on Damian Pinas, but visa issues nixed that fight, and now he will be facing off against the undefeated Baysangur Susurkaev, who’s stepping in on a week’s notice.
Talha fights only one way, and that is recklessly, but in a good way, for him. He is wild on the feet, throwing heavy looping strikes with all intent for the knockout. From those looping strikes, he will dive right into his double leg takedowns, and when he gets the fight on the mat, he rains down heavy ground-and-pound until the referee either pulls him off or until the submission presents itself.
He certainly will not be able to engage in reckless abandon against someone like Susurkaev, but he will need to press the action as he normally does and put an immense amount of pressure on him right from the get-go.
Seeing as Susurkaev is a slow starter, if Talha can bring the fight to him, land heavy strikes, and get in a dominant position on the mat, there’s a chance he gets the finish and the UFC contract.
Why Baysangur Susurkaev will win
Last Fight: (W) Irakli Kuchukhidze – KO/TKO R2
Last 5: 5-0
Finishes: 7 (7 KO/TKO)
Baysangur Susurkaev was gearing up to fight on the Contender Series with an opponent to be named until he got this opportunity to fill in for Pinas. He has been on the UFC’s radar for quite some time now, with seven of his eight victories coming by finish and six of those coming in the first round.
Susurkaev is very methodical on the feet; he’s not one to just throw a ton of volume or throw recklessly like Talha. Everything he throws is to systematically break down his opponents. He will walk them down, hammering the lead calf kicks, mix in the body attacks, and then head hunt when necessary.
What will be key for him here is the knees up the middle against a heavy grappling opponent like Talha, which will prevent Talha from continuing to shoot for takedowns. Being that Susurkaev has been one of the main training partners for Khamzat Chimaev for Dricus Du Plessis and Nursulton Ruziboev for Bryan Battle, his takedown defense should be up to the task for this matchup.
As long as Susurkaev can fend off the takedowns and scramble back to his feet, he has the potential to land another highlight-reel knockout and become one of the newest members of the UFC’s middleweight division.
Final Murtaza Talha-Baysangur Susurkaev Prediction & Pick
Expect this fight to be a frantic one right off the bat. Murtaza Talha is not one to just sit back; he’s going to come forward and take immediate action, which in turn will make Baysangur Susurkaev have to start faster than he normally does.
While Talha is going to have early success, if he doesn’t find the early TKO or submission, he’s going to be in a world of trouble. He has gassed in the past, and going against a skilled striker like Susurkaev, he will capitalize on those mistakes. As the fight progresses into round 2, that’s when Susurkaev’s striking will shine until he lands something flush, putting Talha away and becoming the newest member of the UFC’s middleweight division.
Final Murtaza Talha-Baysangur Susurkaev Prediction & Pick: Baysangur Susurkaev (-310)
