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UFC Vegas 76: Sean Strickland vs. Abus Magomedov kicks off the prelims with a fight in the heavyweight division between Alexandr Romanov and Blagoy Ivanov. Romanov is coming off back-to-back losses for the first time in his career meanwhile, Ivanov has lost three of his last four coming into this matchup. With that said, check out our UFC odds series for our Romanov-Ivanov prediction and pick.
Alexandr Romanov (16-2) is coming off back-to-back losses for the first time in his career when he took on Marcin Tybura and Alexander Volkov two of the better heavyweights in the division. In his wins with the UFC, he showed a ton of promise with dominant grappling and ground-and-pound. He will need to get back to that if he wants to get back on track against Blagoy Ivanov this weekend at UFC Vegas 76.
Blagoy Ivanov (19-5) has been on the losing end of some tough decisions and most recently dropped a unanimous decision to Marcin Tybura who used his grappling to nullify the striking of Ivanov. His small stature in the heavyweight division has been his downfall and it doesn't get much easier against a massive heavyweight in Romanov. He will need to navigate the size and strength of Romanov to get back on track this weekend.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
UFC Vegas 76 Odds: Alexandr Romanov-Blagoy Ivanov Odds
Alexandr Romanov: -144
Blagoy Ivanov: +118
Over 1.5 Rounds: -210
Under 1.5 Round: +160
How to Watch Alexandr Romanov vs. Blagoy Ivanov
TV: ESPN
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 4:00 p.m. ET/ 1:00 p.m. PT (Prelims)
Why Alexandr Romanov Will Win
Romanov has a significant advantage in takedown accuracy, scoring a takedown on 52% of his attempts, while Ivanov finishes his takedowns on only 40% of his attempts. Romanov also has a strong takedown defense, successfully defending 80% of all takedown attempts against him. With his superior grappling skills, Romanov is likely to control the fight on the ground and secure a victory over Ivanov.
Romanov is 10 years younger than Ivanov, which will give him an advantage in terms of speed and endurance. Ivanov has been known to struggle with his cardio in the past. If the fight goes into the later rounds, Romanov could take advantage of this and secure a victory especially when he utilizes his grappling to wear out the smaller Ivanov.
Why Blagoy Ivanov Will Win
Ivanov has been fighting professionally since 2008 and has faced some of the best heavyweights in the world. He has also competed in high-level grappling competitions, including the ADCC World Championships. This experience could give him an edge over the younger and less experienced Romanov.
Ivanov is a skilled striker with a powerful overhand right and a solid jab. If he can keep the fight standing, he could use his striking to outpoint Romanov and secure a victory. Ivanov's speed and ability to stay on the outside will be a major key to success against the much larger and stronger Romanov.
Final Alexandr Romanov-Blagoy Ivanov Prediction & Pick
This should be a closely contested fight like most Blagoy Ivanov fights but this should be reminiscent of the Marcin Tybura fight where Blagoy will struggle with the size and strength of Romanov when defending the takedowns. Romanov should have an easier time against a smaller foe at taking this fight to the mat as long as he doesn't gas out in the process he should get back on track and get the job done.
Final Alexandr Romanov-Blagoy Ivanov Prediction & Pick: Alexandr Romanov (-144), Over 1.5 Rounds (-210)
