UFC Fight Night: Blagoy Ivanov vs. Augusto Sakai Betting Guide (2020)
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After a week-long hiatus, the UFC returns this weekend and back to where it truly belongs: it’s home in Las Vegas. Streamed in its entirety on the ESPN family of networks, the company has moved their events from Florida to their UFC Apex facility in Las Vegas. With the move, the octagon will now be 5′ foot smaller than usual, which should give grapplers an added edge throughout the night.
Despite being restricted to fighters already based in the United States due to the pandemic, UFC Fight Night: Tyron Woodley vs Gilbert Burns offers a sneaky good card, headlined by a welterweight fight between the #1 contender Woodley and #6 Burns.
Right before the main event kicks off, however, two heavyweights looking to make a name for themselves in the company will go head to head in the co-main event of the evening. In what has the potential to be a back and forth slugfest between two very heavy hitters, let’s take a closer look at Blagoy Ivanov vs. Augusto Sakai and see where can identify an edge.
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These odds came from FanDuel Sportsbook on May 29, 2020.
Blagoy Ivanov (18-3-0) vs. Augusto Sakai (14-1-1)
Coming into this fight as the 12th ranked fighter in the heavyweight division, Blagoy Ivanov has defied the odds throughout his career and life, maybe no more so than in 2012. Already well into his MMA career, Ivanov overcame a near-fatal stabbing which left him in a coma putting his life on the line.
Since making a full recovery, Ivanov was back inside the cage (Bellator) a year later and continued his ascent, making his UFC debut in 2018. Since turning professional, Ivanov’s only losses have come against some legends of the sport in Alexander Volkov, Junior dos Santos, and Derrick Lewis, the two later in tough to call decisions.
Despite losing twice in his only four UFC bouts, all four have gone to decision and Ivanov has caught no breaks in the fighters he’s caught. With one of the toughest chins in the sport, Ivanov has “earned his stripes†and should be a mainstay in the division for years to come.
Standing nearly 4″ over his opponent, Augusto Sakai comes into this contest ranked as the #13 fighter in the heavyweight division. Having never lost in the UFC (four fights), Sakai’s only professional loss came to Cheick Kongo in a split decision back in a Bellator event in May 2017.
In his four fights with the UFC, three have ended in KO/TKO, with his most recent victory coming in the first round over Marcin Tybura back in September. Coming into this fight landing 5.5 punches per minute, Sakai is one of the most active with his hand’s fighters in the division, and should once again but Ivanov’s chin to the test.
In this one, I see two fighters looking to make a name for themselves on a card that will be watched by millions. I think the fight ending in KO/TO currently offers value and expect it to dip as fight time approaches.
Pick: How Fight will End – KO/TKO +160
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TJ Perun is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from TJ, check out his archive and follow him @JohnnyCovers.