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We're back to bring you another prediction and pick and we near the UFC Vegas 83 Main Event. This next bout takes place in the Bantamweight (135) Division and features two ranked fighters looking to make a run at the top. China's No. 12 Sumudaerji will take on Glorry MMA's No. 11 Tim Elliott. Check out our UFC odds series for our Sumudaerji-Elliott prediction and pick.
Sumudaerji (16-5) has gone 3-2 during his UFC fights since 2018. He hasn't been very active during his stint and he's had a number of fights fall through due to injury or weight miss. After winning three fights in a row, he met his match in Matt Schnell and was stopped via submission in the second round. He'll be looking to get back in the winning column and overtake Tim Elliott's ranking. Sumudaerji stands 5'8″ with a 72-inch reach.
Tim Elliott (19-13-1) has gone 8-11 during his UFC career and has seen a bit of a resurgence over the last few years. He's 3-2 in his last five fights and his last two wins came against tough opponents in Tagir Ulanbekov and Victor Altamirano. He turned in a good performance during his last fight, but he couldn't outlast the undefeated Muhammad Mokaev. Elliott will now try to protect his ranking with a win. He stands 5'7″ with a 66-inch reach.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of DraftKings.
UFC Vegas 83 Odds: Sumudaerji-Tim Elliott Odds
Sumudaerji: +114
Tim Elliott: -135
Over 2.5 rounds: +100
Under 2.5 rounds: -130
How to Watch Sumudaerji vs. Tim Elliott
TV: ESPN+
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 10:00 p.m. ET/ 7:00 p.m. PT (Main Card)
*Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
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Why Sumudaerji Will Win
Sumudaerji was originally slated to fight Allan Nascimento, but a last-minute withdrawal force this fight to get made. First billed as a heavy underdog, he'll now come into this fight near-even on the betting line with a much more manageable opponent in Tim Elliott. Wrestling and grappling had to have been a huge part of his camp preparing for Nascimento, so his training should serve him well in facing a determined wrestler like Tim Elliott. If he can figure out the awkward movements and stance switches from his opponent, he should be able to get this win as the more prepared fighter.
Sumudaerji has lost five fights by way of submission including his last fight against Matt Schnell. Tim Elliott will be on a short camp heading into this fight, so Sumudaerji should have the advantage with his cardio and striking. He'll want to avoid exchanges on the ground and keep this standing as Elliott is relentless in searching for his takedowns. Sumudaerji will have to work his takedown defense and land knees up the middle to make Elliott pay for his shots. If he can negate the wrestling and land his strikes on the feet, Sumudaerji should be the one landing with more damage throughout this fight.
Why Tim Elliott Will Win
Tim Elliott has had a decent run as of late and it's clear he wants to get back quickly and grab a win after his last loss to Mokaev. He was a massive underdog in that fight and actually put Mokaev is some compromising positions. He'll have a similar matchup against the youth and athleticism of Sumudaerji, but don't be surprised if Elliott can pull off some veteran moves and force his opponent to make mistakes. With a shortened training camp, Elliott will have to rely on what he knows best and that's chain wrestling. Expect him to be in top shape heading into this fight.
To win this bout, Tim Elliott will have to throw a number of different looks at Sumudaerji and keep him guessing. He'll have the steep advantage in the grappling, but he can't show his cards too early and tire himself out while chasing the takedown. His movement is very awkward and it could throw Sumudaerji off his striking rhythm – expect Tim Elliott to tie his opponent up and keep him from mounting any sort of offense from the feet.
Final Sumudaerji-Tim Elliott Prediction & Pick
Sumudaerji will have a much better matchup here in Tim Elliott, but it doesn't change the fact that he's had serious trouble with experienced grapplers and has his only losses by submission. For Elliott, the path to victory seems fairly clear, but he'll be coming in on a short camp against a fairly unfamiliar opponent.
If Tim Elliott can keep Sumudaerji guessing with level changes, I expect him to eventually land a few takedowns and control this fight with his ground-and-pound. He knows the submission attempts will be open, so he may stick to a game plan and choose to exploit any mismatches in Sumudaerji's game. For our prediction, we'll roll with Tim Elliott to get the win.
Final Sumudaerji-Tim Elliott Prediction & Pick: Tim Elliott (-135)
