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UFC 293: Israel Adesanya vs. Sean Strickland kicks off the prelims with a fight in the welterweight division between two promotional newcomers Kevin Jousset and Kiefer Crosbie. Jousset has won three straight fights coming into this fight meanwhile, Crosbie has won two straight along with an exhibition boxing match as he makes his UFC debut. With that said, check out our UFC odds series for our Jousset-Crosbie prediction and pick.
Kevin Jousset (8-2) is one of many City Kickboxing fighters on this fight card but he is the newest addition to the team and the UFC. He is the former Hex Fight Series welterweight and middleweight champion. He just won the welterweight title back in May by third-round stoppage before getting signed to the UFC. He will be looking to make a big splash in the welterweight in his debut fight against Kiefer Crosbie.
Kiefer Crosbie (10-3) is an SBG Ireland product who trains closely with Conor McGregor. He has spent most of his time fighting over in Bellator where he went 4-3 but his most recent MMA fight was a knockout win over former UFC fighter Alex Oliveira. He's looking to make it three in a row and a big debut win when he steps into enemy territory to take on Kevin Jousset at UFC 293.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
UFC 293 Odds: Kevin Jousset-Kiefer Crosbie Odds
Kevin Jousset: -160
Kiefer Crosbie: +130
Over 2.5 Rounds: N/A
Under 2.5 Rounds: N/A
How to Watch Kevin Jousset vs. Kiefer Crosbie
TV: ESPN +
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 6:30 p.m. ET/ 3:30 p.m. PT (Early Prelims)
Why Kevin Jousset Will Win
Kevin Jousset is one of the top middleweight and welterweight prospects out of Australia and New Zealand. He is the former Hex Fight Series middleweight and welterweight champion and was signed after collecting his second and final belt with the promotion after a third-round finish against Kitt Campbell back in May. Jousset is one of six City Kickboxing fighters on this fight card and he has really progressed since making the switch to train at the well-renowned gym.
Jousset is an absolute killer when he gets inside the cage as he is willing to walk through fire to land some bombs of his own. Also, he is a very strong grappler who most likely would be looking to take this fight to the mat and land vicious ground and pound to get Crosbie out of there. Crosbie does have exceptional power and hand speed on the feet so Jousset will certainly need to be wary of that as he does take damage throughout his fights. If Jousset can avoid the power shots of Crosbie and take him down it could be over shortly thereafter.
Why Kiefer Crosbie Will Win
Kiefer Crosbie is an SBH Ireland product and the main training partner of Conor McGregor. Crosbie does his best work on the feet where five of his 10 wins have come by knockout. His most recent MMA win was against former UFC veteran Alex “Cowboy” Oliveria who he knocked out in the very first round. Crosbie spent most of his time fighting for Bellator before fighting for two other regional promotions where he scored two knockout wins which led to his signing with the UFC.
Crosbie will be the much more dangerous fighter on the feet as he has great boxing, good combinations, and power that could knock out Kevin Jousset. The major glaring weakness in his game is his defensive grappling which was his letdown in some of his previous fights. As long as Crosbie can keep this fight from hitting the mat he has a great chance of scoring the knockout and putting his name on the map in the welterweight division.
Final Kevin Jousset-Kiefer Crosbie Prediction & Pick
This is a great fight to kick off the early prelims for UFC 293. Kevin Jousset and Kiefer Crosbie will be coming out with a ton of excitement looking to put on a show for the fans as well as get their first UFC win under their belt. Jousset will be looking to apply the pressure on Crosbie early, not giving him the space to operate on the feet. This will be the key to success for Jousset but he will need to keep his head off the center line as he moves forward into the pocket. While Crosbie has the fight-ending power and can land the knockout blow at any moment, it is his grappling that's going to put him at a big disadvantage in this fight.
Ultimately, Crosbie will land some bombs in the early going but Jousset will come and fire back until he is able to clinch up against the cage, take Crosbie down, and finish him with vicious ground and pound for the first win of his UFC career.
Final Kevin Jousset-Kiefer Crosbie Prediction & Pick: Kevin Jousset (-160)