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The Prelims of UFC Fight Night: Yan vs. Dvalishvili will continue with this next fight in the Bantamweight Division (135lb). UFC veteran Raphael Assuncao will welcome UK's Davey Grant in a pivotal matchup for both fighters. This is set to be a very close fight on an exciting preliminary card! Check out our UFC odds series for our Assuncao-Grant prediction and pick.
Raphael Assuncao is 27-9 in his career and has gone 12-6 in his fights with the UFC since 2011. The promotional veteran of over a decade has fought a who's-who of competition in the bantamweight division, including notable wins over TJ Dillashaw, Aljamain Sterling, Marlon Moraes, and Rob Font. Lately, however, he's struggled as he's aged and the now 40-year old is 1-4 in his last five. He'll hope to build off of his last win and turn back the clock once again in this one. Raphael Assuncao stands 5'5″ with a 66.5-inch reach.
Davey Grant is 12-6 in his career and has split his 10 UFC fights at 5-5. The majority of his wins have come in this back half, including one over a 13-3 Jonathan Martinez. After dropping two consecutive fights to talented fighters in Chito Vera and Adrian Yanez, Grant won his last time out in a “do or die” fight against Louis Smolka. He'll look to build on the win and secure another one against a veteran of the sport. Grant stands 5'8″ with a 69-inch reach.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
UFC Odds: Raphael Assuncao-Davey Grant Odds
Raphael Assuncao: +120
Davey Grant: -148
Over (2.5) rounds: -192
Under (2.5) rounds: +150
How to Watch Raphael Assuncao vs. Davey Grant
TV: ESPN+
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 3:00 p.m. ET/ 12:00 p.m. PT (Prelims)
*Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Raphael Assuncao Will Win
Raphael Assuncao was once seen as one of the scarier power-punchers in the 135 division. He's had notable wins and threatens opponents with his one-punch knockout power, anchored by his strong jiu-jitsu ground game. Since getting choked out by Marlon Moraes, Assuncao went to lose his next three and got knocked out cold by Cody Garbrandt during that stretch. He did, however, make a switch in his camp and saw a much better game plan in his last win against Victor Henry.
Assuncao is known for throwing hard power shots and has great knockout ability. At times, he over-extends and leaves his chin hanging open. At his age, he'll have to limit too many damaging shots as his chin is not likely to be what it once was. Assuncao will also attack with knees and head kicks, so look for him to throw a few of those and knock Grant off his rhythm. If he sees success early, Assuncao will repeatedly kick to the leg and wait for his opponent to be compromised until shooting a takedown. He's got tremendous squeeze in his submissions, so he should use his jiu-jitsu as Grant is hard to put away on the feet.
Why Davey Grant Will Win
Davey Grant continues to show improvements in his game and bounced back in a big way by putting out Louis Smolka in his last fight. He, too, will have made a camp switch recently and will be stepping in for the place of Kyler Phillips. Davey Grant has a unique game and does a great job in his defensive efforts. While he's gotten hit in the past, he has a solid chin and great durability at this point of his career. Grant is also very solid in the grappling and is accurate on 42% of his takedowns. He'll be the bigger and longer fighter in this one, so look for him to strike at range and press Assuncao up against the cage.
For Grant to win, he'll have to be careful of the power counter-striking from Assuncao. Grant will need to use his head movement and pop his opponent at the right times. The uglier this fight looks, the more advantage Grant will have. He's also got power in his own shots so he will want to land on the weathered chin of Assuncao. Look for Grant to rely on his gas tank and put away the veteran in this one.
Final Raphael Assuncao-Davey Grant Prediction & Pick
Raphael Assuncao will most likely look to be methodical in this one and pick his shots carefully. “Dangerous” Davey Grant will look to rush in and land quickly on Assuncao, so there's a real possibility that Assuncao can land a counter-left and put Grant down. However, Grant has a really good chin and will threaten with the wrestling. This one is tough to call as the odds makers have it close.
Final Raphael Assuncao-Davey Grant Prediction & Pick: Raphael Assuncao (+120)
