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UFC Vegas 74: Kai Kara-France vs. Amir Albazi keeps it moving on the prelims with a fight in the bantamweight division between Da'Mon Blackshear and Luan Lacerda. Both Blackshear and Lacerda are looking for their first win inside the octagon as they go to battle this Saturday night. With that said, check out our UFC odds series for our Blackshear-Lacerda prediction and pick.
Da'Mon Blackshear (12-5-1) cut his cloth fighting on all of the top regional promotions from CES, Titan FC, CFFC, and even Bellator MMA. He's fought the who's who on the regional scene but has failed to get that big win which will be looking to get this weekend as he takes on the dangerous Luan Lacerda.
Luan Lacerda (12-2) came into his UFC debut against one the hardest debut fights you can have in the bantamweight division as he lost a unanimous decision against Cody Stamann. In that fight, he was able to take one round off the former top-ranked bantamweight and he hopes that momentum will continue into this fight to get his first win inside the octagon.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
UFC Las Vegas Odds: Da'Mon Blackshear-Luan Lacerda Odds
Da'Mon Blackshear: +122
Luan Lacerda: -156
Over 2.5 Rounds:
Under 2.5 Round:
UFC Las Vegas: How to Watch Da'Mon Blackshear vs. Luan Lacerda
TV: ESPN
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 6:00 p.m. ET/ 3:00 p.m. PT (Prelims)
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Why Da'Mon Blackshear Will Win
Da'Mon Blackshear has a ton of experience against high-level competition inside and outside of the UFC. This experience has taken him far and he will need to utilize that to get past Luan Lacerda. Blackshear has shown that he has been progressing in his striking over the years but it's his wrestling and grappling that has been his money maker throughout his career.
He is taking on a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt in Lacerda so playing the grappling game may be a bit dicey his long-range attacks on the feet will need to play a major factor in this fight. He is tall and long for the division so his long snapping jab and kicks will be his key to victory on the feet along with mixing in takedowns to secure minutes, rounds, and the decision victory.
Why Luan Lacerda Will Win
Luan Lacerda looked quite good in his UFC debut even in a loss against someone as good as Cody Stamann. In that fight, he was competing on the feet with Stamann who's a golden gloves boxer and was able to defend takedowns against the collegiate wrestler and even took him down with nicely timed double legs. That bodes well for him in this matchup against Blackshear.
On the feet, Lacerda has a Muay Thai striking background and it shows with punishing body and leg kicks and that high guard to deflect heavy power coming his way. He was able to defend most of the heavy strikes that Stamann was throwing at him and seeing as Blackshear is nowhere near the striker that Stamann is, Lacerda has a sizable advantage at distance in this matchup.
Final Da'Mon Blackshear-Luan Lacerda Prediction & Pick
I really like what Lacerda brings to the table as he is a very well-rounded mixed martial artist. Blackshear is a great athlete as well with some really good wrestling, but his control on the mat isn't great, and his striking leaves a lot to be desired. Mix that with some bad cardio I just see Lacerda being too much for Blackshear everywhere and he either gets the late finish or a unanimous decision victory.
Final Da'Mon Blackshear-Luan Lacerda Prediction & Pick: Luan Lacerda (-156) / Over 2.5 Rounds
