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UFC London: Tom Aspinall vs. Marcin Tybura continues with the prelims with a fight in the lightweight division between Chris Duncan and Yanal Ashmouz. Both Duncan and Ashmouz won their UFC debuts and will be looking to continue their moment this weekend. With that said, check out our UFC odds series for our Duncan-Ashmouz prediction and pick.
Chris Duncan (10-1) made the most of his second chance when he fought Charlie Campbell on the Contender Series winning by first-round knockout. He was also successful in his UFC debut out-grappling veteran Omar Morales to win by a close split decision. He will need to be sharp and on his game when he takes on dangerous opponent Yanal Ashmouz at UFC London this weekend.
Yanal Ashmouz (7-0) the undefeated prospect who was relatively unknown coming into his UFC debut certainly made an impression and gained a ton of fans when he brutally knocked out Sam Patterson in less than two minutes in the first round. He hopes that he can replicate the same success he had at UFC 286 here this weekend at UFC London and start making moves up the lightweight rankings.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
UFC London Odds: Chris Duncan-Yanal Ashmouz Odds
Chris Duncan: -150
Yanal Ashmouz: +122
Over 2.5 Rounds: +136
Under 2.5 Rounds: -174
How to Watch Chris Duncan vs. Yanal Ashmouz
TV: ESPN+
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET/ 9:00 a.m. PT (Prelims)
Article Continues Below
Why Chris Duncan Will Win
Chris Duncan is coming off a split-decision victory over Omar Morales in his last fight. This victory gave him his first win in the UFC and could potentially give him the momentum heading into his matchup against Ashmouz. On the other hand, Ashmouz is coming off a victory in his UFC debut but has not fought since then.
Duncan is known for his striking ability, with seven of his 10 professional wins coming by way of knockout but after changing camps to American Top Team we've seen more grappling from the Scottish fighter which will help him out against a heavy hitter like Yanal Ashmouz. He has been prone to get rocked on multiple occasions which will make this fight dicey early on for Duncan but if Duncan can weather that early storm and take Ashmouz into deep waters he can keep his winning streak going.
Why Yanal Ashmouz Will Win
Yanal Ashmouz has an undefeated record of 7-0, with one victory in the UFC. Ashmouz is a strong grappler with a good wrestling base. He has shown the ability to control opponents on the ground and finish them with submissions. He is also a competent striker, with good power in his hands and kicks. Duncan is a more traditional striker, but he does have some grappling skills. He is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, but he has not shown the same level of proficiency on the ground as Ashmouz.
In the striking department, Ashmouz has the edge. He is a more powerful and accurate striker, and he has a better variety of strikes in his arsenal. Duncan is a good striker, but he is not on Ashmouz's level. Wrestling is also a key factor in this fight. Ashmouz is the better wrestler, and he is likely to control the fight on the ground. If he can get Duncan to the ground, he will be in a good position to win the fight.
Final Chris Duncan-Yanal Ashmouz Prediction & Pick
This should be a fun fight for however long it lasts between these two lightweight contenders. Duncan has shown more wrinkles to his game recently in his last fight against Omar Morales. He showed that he isn't just a brawler that goes punch-for-punch with his opponents but now he can mix it up to keep his opponents honest. As for Ashmouz, we've seen the type of power he can generate on one single punch when he knocked out Sam Patterson in his debut.
The worry with Duncan is that he is extremely hittable and his chin issues haven't gotten better from both of his stints on the Contender Series. Duncan will need to hammer his newfound love of wrestling into this contest against one of the heaviest hitters he has faced since fighting “Slava Claus” Viascheslav Borshchev. Unfortunately, Duncan's chin issues will be put on full display here against Yanal Ashmouz as he lands a heavy combination that ends with a right hand that drops Duncan in the early going of this fight and he keeps that ‘0' intact on his record.
Final Chris Duncan-Yanal Ashmouz Prediction & Pick: Yanal Ashmouz (+122), Under 2.5 Rounds (-174)
