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UFC Vegas 96: Jared Cannonier vs. Caio Borralho continues on the prelims with Viacheslav Borshchev and James Llontop in the lightweight division. Borshchev has hit a rough patch in his UFC career with a win in only one of his last five fights meanwhile, Llontop dropped his UFC debut where he was submitted in round one as he comes into his second fight inside the Octagon. With that said, check out our UFC odds series for our Borshchev-Llontop prediction and pick.
Viacheslav Borshchev (7-4-1) looked like he could make a run in the lightweight division after his UFC debut but has only one win since that debut back in 2022. Borshchev will be looking to finally get back into the win column and start his climb up the lightweight rankings when he takes on James Llontop this weekend at the UFC Apex
James Llontop (14-3) secured his contract on the Contender Series with a win over Malik Lewis last season. However, that momentum wasn't long-lived as he missed weight in his UFC debut and was submitted by short-notice replacement Chris Padilla in round one. Llontop will be looking to finally get his first UFC victory when he takes on Viacheslav Borshchev this Saturday night.
Here are the UFC Vegas 96 Odds, courtesy of DraftKings.
UFC Vegas 96 Odds: Viacheslav Borshchev-James Llontop Odds
Viacheslav Borshchev: -218
James Llontop: +180
Over 2.5 rounds: -120
Under 2.5 rounds: -110
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Why Viacheslav Borshchev Will Win
Viacheslav Borshchev has hit a rough patch in his career where he has only won one fight in his last five fights. He most recently was submitted by Chase Hooper in his last loss. Borshchev has the opportunity to get back on track in a must-win situation when he takes on former Contender Series alumni James Llontop this weekend at the UFC Apex.
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Borshchev is an exceptional striker but his drawback has been his grappling and takedown defense and it has yet to evolve and get better during his time in the UFC. When he's not defending takedowns he does a great job at mixing his attacks on the feet and his style of kickboxing is hard to deal it making him someone you can't just kickbox without mixing in the takedowns. Luckily for Borshchev, he gets to take on Llontop who's primarily a striker and will not be looking to take this fight to the canvas which will give Borshchev the opportunity to operate at range where he should be able to outstrike Llontop to get back on track.
Why James Llontop Will Win
James Llontop's UFC debut didn't go quite as planned. Despite having a full camp for his debut unlike his opponent Padilla, he missed weight egregiously and then went on to get submitted in round one. Now, Llontop will look to right his wrong in his second UFC fight by not only making weight but also getting the win when he takes on Viacheslav Borshchev this weekend at the UFC Apex.
Llontop showed his striking prowess in his Contender Series fight which won over Dana White and the matchmakers giving him a UFC contract. He has yet to live up to the hype but he gets a fighter in Borshchev who will be looking to elect to strike with him which should allow Llontop to show off this weekend. While it's not best for Llontop to just have a kickboxing match with Borshchev, his pressure and pace could cause trouble on the feet. Borshchev needs to keep the fight at kicking distance while Llontop will want to crowd his space get into boxing range and land his heavy hooks. If he can keep Borshchev fighting off his back foot and crowd the space he can land something flush on Borshchev which could potentially put him down and get his first UFC victory.
Final Viacheslav Borshchev-James Llontop Prediction & Pick
This fight has the makings of being a great scrap between these two lightweight competitors as both fighters are desperately in need of a win come this weekend. This should be a striker's delight as both fighters should elect to just throw down in the middle of the Octagon which should make for an exciting fight. Ultimately, if this ends up being a kickboxing match with 4oz gloves it's hard to see James Llontop having much success at range against someone as elite as Viacheslav Borshchev as Borshchev lights him up at range eventually putting him away midway through this fight getting back on track.
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Final Viacheslav Borshchev-James Llontop Prediction & Pick: Viacheslav Borshchev (-218), Under 2.5 Rounds (-110)
