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UFC Jacksonville: Josh Emmett vs. Ilia Topuria keeps it moving on the prelims with a fight in the lightweight division between Mateusz Rebecki and Loik Radzhabov. Both Rebecki and Radzhabov are coming off a promotional debut win in their last fights. With that said, check out our UFC odds series for our Rebecki-Radzhabov prediction and pick.
Mateusz Rebecki (17-1) is riding a 14-fight win streak into his second walk to the octagon. He was able to completely dominate against short-notice newcomer Nick Fiore for the entirety of the fight. He now gets to take on the toughest assignment in his UFC career to date Loik Radzhabov.
Loik Radzhabov (17-4-1) the former PFL finalist came into his short-notice debut fight and dominated former Dana White Contender Series alumni Esteban Ribovics. His game is predicated on taking his opponents down and dominating them on the mat just like his opposition. This could make a very exciting matchup between two established and experienced fighters on Saturday night.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
UFC Jacksonville Odds: Mateusz Rebecki-Loik Radzhabov Odds
Mateusz Rebecki: -158
Loik Radzhabov: +128
Over 2.5 Rounds: -192
Under 2.5 Round: +150
How to Watch Mateusz Rebecki vs. Loik Radzhabov
TV: ABC
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 11:30 a.m. ET/ 8:30 a.m. PT (Prelims)
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Why Mateusz Rebecki Will Win
Mateusz Rebecki is a highly skilled fighter with a record of 17-1-0. He has an average fight time of 9:03, which shows that he is a fighter who likes to finish his opponents quickly. Rebecki is known for his grappling ability but he has a high knockout rate. He is also a good wrestler and has excellent takedown defense to go along with the dynamite in his hands.
Rebecki's striking ability is his biggest strength. He has a lot of power in his hands and can knock out his opponents with a single punch. He is also very accurate with his strikes and has a good sense of timing. Rebecki's takedown defense is also very good, which means that he can keep the fight standing and use his striking to his advantage which is what that doctor has ordered in this fight against Loik Radzhabov.
Why Loik Radzhabov Will Win
Much like his opposition, Loik Radzhabov does his best work when he's able to take his opponents down and control them on the mat. He is not a finisher like Rebecki as he uses his grappling to control and grind his opponents out over the course of the entirety of a fight much like he did against Ribovics.
With Rebecki having the ability to end the fight with just one single punch, Radzhabov will need to ensure that he is on the outside of strikes of Rebecki before he level changes in an attempt to get this fight to the mat. If he is able to avoid the big heavy strikes from Rebecki and attempt takedowns that will make this fight a lot closer than the betting lines are suggesting.
Final Mateusz Rebecki-Loik Radzhabov Prediction & Pick
This fight is a tough one to call, as both fighters are highly skilled and have their own strengths and weaknesses. Rebecki's striking ability and takedown defense could give him the edge in this fight, but Radzhabov's grappling ability and submission game cannot be underestimated.
If Rebecki is able to keep the fight standing and use his striking to his advantage, he could win by knockout. However, if Radzhabov is able to take Rebecki down and control him on the ground, he could win by submission or grind him out for a decision. Ultimately, I predict that Mateusz Rebecki will win this fight by knockout. His striking ability and takedown defense will be too much for Radzhabov to handle, and he will be able to finish the fight early.
Final Mateusz Rebecki-Loik Radzhabov Prediction & Pick: Mateusz Rebecki (-158), Under 2.5 Rounds (+150)
