UFC Fight Night: Alistair Overeem vs. Augusto Sakai Betting Guide (2020)
After five fight nights in August, the UFC picks up right where they left off with another four this month. UFC 253: Adesanya vs. Costa will cap things off on September 26th.
Before we get there, though, this weekend’s UFC Fight Night: Alistair Overeem vs. Augusto Sakai offers a few great matchups, but none are as great as the main event itself.
Let’s take a closer look at the tale of the tape between two top-10 heavyweights.
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Alistair Overeem (46-18-0) vs. Augusto Sakai (15-1-1)
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
Fighting out of the Netherlands, former K-1 Kickboxing champion Alistair Overeem can be a nightmare to line up across from. Currently ranked as the No. 6 contender to Stipe Miocic’s throne, Overeem comes into this weekend as the winner of three of his last four.
The last time we saw him fight was back in May at the start of the pandemic-caused UFC restart. He earned a second-round TKO in the main event of UFC on ESPN: Overeem vs. Harris. Like with most men of his size in this sport, TKO/KO finishes have been a theme of Overeem’s career.
Since he entered the UFC in 2011, just three of his fights have gone the distance. In fact, four of his last six fights haven’t even made it out of the second round, as 50 percent ended in the first.
Eleven years younger than Overeem, Augusto Sakai is still looking for his signature UFC win. He joined the company at the end of 2018 and has rattled off five straight victories, most recently against Blagoy Ivanov at UFC on ESPN: Woodley vs. Burns.
Like Overeem, Sakai has a knack for getting things over with early. Four of his last six have ended well before the final bell.
In this one, Sakai should have all the advantages in the world, but the oddsmakers are painting a different picture. Overeem actually comes in as the heavy (-170) favorite. With no submissions under either fighter’s belt, this five-round affair is unlikely to go the distance. I’m willing to lay the juice that one of these heavy hitters will end it early once again.
Pick: How fight will End? – KO/TKO (-190)
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TJ Perun is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from TJ, check out his archive and follow him @JohnnyCovers.