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We continue our coverage of the UFC 286 Early Prelims with another installment of our odds and pick series for this Middleweight (185 lb) matchup. UFC Newcomer Christian Leroy Duncan will make his debut against the tested Serbian Dusko Todorovic. Check out our UFC odds series for our Duncan-Todorovic prediction and pick.
Christian Leroy Duncan is undefeated at 7-0 in his fighting career and will be making his UFC debut here tonight. His prefect 7-0 record comes from his fights in the Cage Warriors organization in England where he held the championship belt. He’ll be making a highly-anticipated debut against a UFC mainstay fighter. Duncan stands 6’2″ with a 79.5-inch reach.
Dusko Todorovic is 12-3 in his mixed martial arts career and has gone 3-3 in his UFC fights. After earning a contract on DWCS in 2019, Todorovic established himself as a dangerous and skilled middleweight fighter. Recently, however, he’s alternated wins and losses and hasn’t found much consistency. He’ll look for back-to-back wins for the first time in the UFC. Todorovic stands 6’1″ with a 74-inch reach.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
UFC 286 Odds: Christian Leroy Duncan-Dusko Todorovic Odds
Christian Leroy Duncan: -205
Dusko Todorovic: +172
Over (1.5) rounds: -108
Under (1.5) rounds: -118
How to Watch Christian Leroy Duncan vs. Dusko Todorovic
TV: ESPN+
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 12:30 p.m. ET/ 9:30 a.m. PT (Early Prelims
*Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Christian Leroy Duncan Will Win
Christian Leroy Duncan comes into his UFC debut as a moderate favorite, which tells the story of his development as a fighter and ability to put away different arrays of opponents. Of his seven wins, just one has gone to a decision. Duncan knocked opponents out in all his other fights and even showed his grappling game with a submission win. He’s been on an absolute tear and hasn’t seen much coming back in his way. He has great defense and throws with a lot of power.
Christian Leroy Duncan can win this fight if he is able to open up with his striking. Todorovic has shown a compromised chin in the past, so if Duncan can land enough heavy shots through the guard, he’ll have a great chance to win this fight as the favorite. His opponent does have a number of submission wins, so Duncan will have to be vigilant in defending the submission attempts of Todorovic.
Why Dusko Todorovic Will Win
Dusko Todorovic has shown a very fundamental and steady game that lends him to beat less disciplined fighters than himself. Todorovic plays great defense and throws a mixture of jabs and straights when closing the distance. He’s very strong in clinch situations and can have the upper-hand in the grappling if he continues to dig his underhooks. Look for Todorovic to use his strength in tying Duncan up and landing elbows from in close. If he can hurt his opponent, Todorovic will look for the takedown and ensue ground-and-pound.
To win this fight, Todorovic will have to do a better job of covering up than he has in his last few fights. He looked very good in his last win against Jordan Wright showing a lot of patience, but got caught with an elbow in the previous fight with Chidi Njokuani. His chin will be a question as it’s been compromised in the past. He’ll have to keep his hands up and look for opportunistic takedowns when Duncan misses his shots.
Final Christian Leroy Duncan-Dusko Todorovic Prediction & Pick
Dusko Todororic will probably be the more well-rounded fighter here with his skills, but his lack of output doesn’t match up well against a dangerous striker like Duncan. The prediction is for Duncan to land his shots hard and break the guard of Todorovic. If his cardio can hold up, he should be able to put away Todorovic as early as he can. Let’s take him with the KO/TKO prop as well.
Final Christian Leroy Duncan-Dusko Todorovic Prediction & Pick: Christian Leroy Duncan (-205); by KO/TKO (+110)