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We're back with another betting prediction and pick for UFC Vegas 88 as we continue action from the Main Card with this next bout in the Light Heavyweight (205) Division. Dangerous finishers will square-off as Haiti's Ovince Saint Preux takes on Nigeria's Kennedy Nzechukwu. Check out our UFC odds series for our Saint Preux-Nzechukwu prediction and pick.
Ovince Saint Preux (26-17) comes into this fight with a 14-12 record in the UFC since 2013. After over a decade with the promotion, he's made a name for himself with his patented “Von Preux” choke and will be looking to bounce back after his last loss to Philipe Lins. He's had a number of cancelled fights over the last year and he's finally ready to get back in action. OSP stands 6'3″ with an 80-inch reach.
Kennedy Nzechukwu (12-4) comes into this fight with a 6-4 record since 2019. He won three consecutive fights in impressive fashion over Karl Roberson, Ion Cutelaba, and Devin Clark, but lost his last fight in the first round to Dustin Jacoby as a heavy betting favorite. He'll be looking to avoid another upset loss as he tries to get the biggest win of his stint so far. Nzechukwu stands 6'5″ with an 83-inch reach.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of BetOnline.
UFC Vegas 88 Odds: Ovince Saint Preux-Kennedy Nzechukwu Odds
Ovince Saint Preux: +500
Kennedy Nzechukwu: -700
Over 1.5 rounds: +120
Under 1.5 rounds: -150
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Why Ovince Saint Preux Will Win
Ovince Saint Preux will be returning to action for just the third time in three years as he's seen four possible opponents drop out prior to their scheduled bouts. He was set to face Ion Cutelaba next but had to pull out due to his own reasons. It'll be interesting to see how ready he is after taking some time off and it was indicative by his last performance that he came out the gates a step too slow. He can't afford another slow start against a finisher like Nzechukwu and he'll benefit from getting this fight to the ground.
Saint Preux has been down during his last couple of fights, but he still possesses great power in his counter strikes and can put opponents down on the feet. He may have some trouble with the length of Nzechukwu, but he knows he'll have an advantage on the ground if he can land a takedown and find himself in top position. Look for OSP to search for the takedown as he looks for his go-to submission in the von flue choke.
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Why Kennedy Nzechukwu Will Win
Kennedy Nzechukwu went on a three-fight winning streak that immediately made him look like the next up-and-coming contender at 205. He was a heavy favorite in his last fight against Dustin Jacoby, but he came out flat and eventually got caught in the first round. It was a disappointing result for Nzechukwu and it'll be interesting to see how he responds after his first loss in a few fights. Still, he'll be the younger, fresher fighter in this matchup and could arguably add this as the biggest win on resume thus far.
Kennedy Nzechukwu will see success if he's able to start fast and immediately put the pressure on OSP. His opponent has had some slow starts in the past, so Nzechukwu should look to crowd him with punches as soon as possible while threatening with kicks up the middle. Nzechukwu also has the more active kicking game and his diverse range of strikes is the reason he's getting so much juice on the betting lines.
Final Ovince Saint Preux-Kennedy Nzechukwu Prediction & Pick
This should be a very fun fight between two skilled finishers and it'll be interesting to see which fighter can impose their game plan more effectively throughout this one. Ovince Saint Preux will look to tie Nzechukwu up and get this fight to the ground. He'll be the slightly better submission artist and if he finds top position, his opponent could be in trouble from the bottom.
Kennedy Nzechukwu will have the better striking here and should look to start fast with his kicks and punches. If he can hurt OSP early and grab him in the clinch, we should see him finish another fight rather quickly on the feet.
For our prediction, we're going to take the over in this fight. I expect both fighters to have their moments and equal opportunities at finishing the fight. However, I see the length and accuracy of Kennedy Nzechukwu becoming a problem for Saint Preux as he eventually takes this fight. It'll be back-and-forth the whole way, so let's roll with the over for plus money as someone finishes this fight in the later rounds.
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Final Ovince Saint Preux-Kennedy Nzechukwu Prediction & Pick: OVER 1.5 Rounds (+120)
