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Contender Series Week 3: Eli Aronov vs. Zachary Reese continues with the featured bout in the middleweight division between Eli Aranov and Zachary Reese. Aranov is an unbeaten prospect who is riding six consecutive wins into his appearance on this week's episode of the Contender Series meanwhile, Reese is also an unbeaten prospect who's won five in a row as he comes into his shot on the show. With that said, check out our UFC odds series for our Aronov-Reese prediction and pick.
Eli Aronov (6-0) is on the heels of a 15-month layoff after winning his last fight via arm-triangle choke in the second round at Unified MMA 45. Aronov is a finisher by nature with four of his six wins coming inside the distance and he will be hoping to keep his finishing ways going as he takes on Zachary Reese for his chance at a UFC contract on this week's episode of the Contender Series.
Zachary Reese (5-0) is a Fury Fighting Championship product who amassed a 3-0 record with three straight finishes with the promotion. He will be taking on his toughest competition to date when he takes on Eli Aronov but he hopes his size and power will be the difference maker to make it six in a row as he steps into this shot on the Contender Series.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
Contender Series Week 3 Odds: Eli Aronov-Zachary Reese Odds
Eli Aronov: +126
Zachary Reese: -160
How to Watch Eli Aronov vs. Zachary Reese
TV: ESPN+
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET/ 5:00 p.m. PT
Why Eli Aronov Will Win
Eli Aronov is an undefeated prospect fighting out of Israel who is coming off a dominant submission victory in his last fight into the biggest fight of his career in the Contender Series against a tough competitor in Zachary Reese. Aronov may be on the smaller spectrum for the middleweight division, especially against someone like Reese who will be substantially bigger than him. He makes up for his size with his tenacity, strength, and powerful grappling.
He has competed in numerous grappling competitions and seeing how he dominated his last opponent with his grappling it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility that he can do the same here against the bigger Zachary Reese. He will have to be mindful as Reese is a powerful striker that can end the fight with just one single strike. As long as he can avoid big strikes of Reese, he can take this fight to the mat and then dominate
Why Zachary Reese Will Win
Zachary Reese is a Fury Fighting Championship product that is an absolute powerhouse. He stands in at 6'3″ and he puts that reach to good use as he counters his opponents with big shots as they come within range. He has not had much cage time as a professional as he's never seen a round two and he has a combined 7:20 of cage time in all five of his professional fights. This could be a detriment in this matchup if he doesn't pace himself if the first-round finish isn't there.
Of his five professional wins, four of them have come by knockout while he has one win by submission. Reese is a very aggressive striker that will be pushing the pace in this fight against his counterpart in Eli Aronov to get him out of there early. Reese will need to be wary of the takedowns from Aronov but if he is able to fend off the takedowns and land hands on Aronov it could be yet another fast night at the office.
Final Eli Aronov-Zachary Reese & Pick
This is yet another classic grappler vs. striker matchup and one that will certainly be exciting to watch. These middleweight prospects surely are a bit green but they have the potential to be great prospects for the UFC's middleweight division. This pretty much boils down to whether or not Aronov can take the power of Reese, if he can he should be able to take him down to the mat and dominate him there.
Aronov is surely the most skilled fighter that Reese has faced in his short professional MMA career. Reese will need to put a hurting on Aronov early or it's going to be a long night for him. Ultimately, Reese will come out of the gate hot, pushing the pace and being the aggressor landing some heavy shots but once he over extends and leaves himself open Aronov will land the counter shot and then take Reese to the mat where he eventually sinks in the arm-triangle choke for his seventh victory in a row and a UFC contract.
Final Eli Aronov-Zachary Reese & Pick: Eli Aranov (+126)
