UFC Louisville: Jared Cannonier vs. Nassourdine Imavov continues on the prelims with a fight in the lightweight division between Thiago Moises and L'udovit Klein. Moises has now won three out of his last four fights most recently getting a third-round TKO in his last fight meanwhile, Klein has now won four out of his last five fights with his lone blemish being a draw as he comes into the biggest fight of his UFC career. With that said, check out our UFC odds series for our Moises-Klein prediction and pick.
Thiago Moises (18-7) got back into the win column after taking a beating against Benoit Saint-denis when he brutally finished Mitch Ramirez with leg kicks in the 3rd round. Moises will look to get back on a winning streak when he takes on L'udovit Klein this weekend at UFC Louisville.
L'udovit Klein (21-4-1) was set to face off against Joel Alvarez in his last fight until he had to withdraw last minute which had former Contender Series alumni AJ Cunningham step up on short notice only to be brutally finished in round one. That now gives Klein four wins in his last five fights with two wins in a row as he looks to extend his winning streak to three when he takes on Thiago Moises in Louisville.
Here are the UFC Louisville Odds, courtesy of BetOnline.
UFC Louisville Odds: Thiago Moises-L'udovit Klein Odds
Thiago Moises: +107
L'udovit Klein: -127
Over 2.5 rounds: -125
Under 2.5 rounds: -105
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Why Thiago Moises Will Win
Thiago Moises took a devastating loss at the hands of Benoit Saint-Denis two fights ago where he was finished by vicious ground-and-pound in the second round. Moises was able to bounce back in his most recent fight against promotional newcomer Mitch Ramirez whom he finished via brutal leg kicks in 3rd round TKO. Now, Moises will be looking to get back on another winning streak in the UFC when he takes on the surging L'udovit Klein this weekend at UFC Louisville.
Thiago Moises is a former Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion and he has certainly brought that area of expertise with him inside the Octagon with three of his seven victories coming by submission. That Jiu-Jitu background will serve him well in this matchup against a decorated striker like L'udovit Klein. While Moises can certainly handle his own on the feet with Klein, it would be in his best interest to test his grappling skills in this fight. Being as Moises is by far the best grappler Klein has faced in his career and he's been submitted twice in his four losses against inferior grapplers, the path to victory is there for Moises. If he can avoid getting into a kickboxing match with Klein and drag him to the mat he can extend his winning streak to two this weekend.
Why L'udovit Klein Will Win
L'udovit Klein has been making a name for himself in his recent fights. Most recently he brutally finished AJ Cunningham in the first round. After Cunningham wasn't willing to go down after taking a ton of damage to his head, Klein started working the body until he landed a beautiful body shot that shut him down getting the finish. Klein has won in four out of his last five fights and will be looking to get the biggest win of his career when he takes on Thiago Moises this weekend in Louisville.
Klein has some elite striking abilities and they are going to be put to the test against a tough competitor in Thiago Moises. He will undoubtedly be the better striker in this matchup by a pretty comfortable margin. Klein will need to use his thunderous kicks to keep Moises at bay and at the end of his strikes. As Moises comes within range he will need to let his hands go and land his crisp combinations so that he can make Moises think twice before he tries to attempt a takedown. This is Klein's fight to lose if he keeps it standing and if his takedown defense holds up he can get it done this weekend.
Final Thiago Moises-L'udovit Klein Prediction & Pick
This is a fantastic matchup as the featured bout on the prelims as we get a classic striker vs grappler matchup. While Moises is a grappler he has evolved a ton as a striker over the years working at American Top Team but his plan of action should be to take this fight to the mat. However, that is a lot easier said than done as Klein has shown great takedown defense during his time in the UFC which will make it hard for Moises to take it there. Ultimately, expect Klein to be looking good on the feet until this fight hits the mat and that's when Moises will take Klein's back eventually getting the rear-naked choke finish.
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Final Thiago Moises-L'udovit Klein Prediction & Pick: Thiago Moises (+107), Under 2.5 Rounds (-105)