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The Featherweight division in the “Road to the UFC” tournament comes to a close tonight at UFC Fight Night Vegas. The Finale will feature South Korean JeongYeong Lee facing off against China's Yi Zhu for a contract on the line. Check out our UFC odds series for our Lee-Zha prediction and pick.
JeongYeong Lee is 9-1 in his MMA career. He's won his last five fights coming in and has been able to win in all different fashions. During the “Road to the UFC” tournament, Lee won both of his fights impressively, finishing opponents with an armbar and right hook. He's a moderate favorite in this fight as he'll have an advantage in the striking department. JeongYeong Lee stands 5'10” with a 73-inch reach.
Yi Zhu has a professional record of 22-3 and is the No. 1 ranked featherweight in China. He has advanced to the finale of the featherweight division by submitting his first opponent and winning a close split-decision in the semi-final. He'll have a big advantage over Lee with his time spent in the cage. He'll also look to represent for his country as the only Chinese fighter on the card. Yi Zhu stands 5'7″ and has a 71-inch reach.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
UFC Odds: JeongYeong Lee-Yi Zha Odds
JeongYeong Lee: -265
Yi Zha: +200
Over (1.5) rounds: -130
Under (1.5) rounds: +102
How to Watch JeongYeong Lee vs. Yi Zha
TV: ESPN+
Stream: fuboTV, ESPN+
Time: 10:00 p.m. ET/ 7:00 p.m. PT (Prelims)
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Why JeongYeong Lee Will Win
JeongYeong Lee impressed in the tournament with his dominant and quick wins by submission. He has displayed resilience against tough competitors after taking a three year break from the sport. His return came at this tournament where he now looks to secure a UFC contract. He's a great boxer with fast hands. While he tends to load up on shots and telegraph punches, his true comfort-zone is on the outside, dictating with his jab.
Lee is comfortable on the ground and can get by against lesser opponents with his athleticism alone. He trends more towards being a rangy striker, so look for him to use his reach advantage and land from distance. The long layoffs from MMA are always a question, but Lee has shown in his two return fights that he is back to peak form.
Why Yi Zha Will Win
Yi Zha has a complete game and a fair amount of experience fighting in the cage. His gym, Enbo Fight Club, has several rostered UFC fighters in their training rooms, so Zhu has great partners available to him. He has a well-balanced game, not focusing too much on one area and attacking his opponents from a multitude of places. His greatest strength is being comfortable wherever the fight goes.
The lone question with Zha here is the level of competition he's faced. He's often the more skilled fighter in his matchups and his opponents have lacked experience. He'll have a wrestling advantage in this one, but he'll have to capitalize on the advantageous positions on the ground. He'll be outmatched on the feet and it'll take perfect technique to takedown the bigger fighter in Lee.
Final JeongYeong Lee-Yi Zha Prediction & Pick
Yi Zha has a great motor and puts in a solid work rate. He can easily hold Lee down here if he commits to his wrestling enough. However, I think JeongYeong Lee will come into this fight the much bigger man, making it harder for Zha to find the takedowns. I like Lee in this fight.
Final JeongYeong Lee-Yi Zha Prediction & Pick: JeongYeong Lee -265
