Undefeated lightweight Khabib Nurmagomedov (24-0, 8 KOs, 8 SUBs) will return to the octagon to face high-flying Edson Barboza (19-4, 11 KOs, 1 SUB) at UFC 219 on Saturday, December 30, 2017 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The card airs live on pay-per-view starting 10 p.m. ET. Get the latest UFC odds, previews, predictions and picks at BookMaker.eu.
Can it be December 30 already? That’s the date for UFC 219, which features one of the most anticipated lightweight matchups of the year: Undefeated Khabib Nurmagomedov, the Dagestani terror who many believe would already be champion had it not been for injuries, will fight for the first time in 2017, against Edson Barboza - an electric striker with a ridiculously crazy highlight reel.
The MMA world has been waiting for Nurmagomedov to make his move ever since he dropped out of a fight with Tony Ferguson due to a botched weight cut. It’s always the same story with “The Eagle”: he’s an unstoppable beast that just can’t seem to stay healthy. But Barboza is an absolutely lethal striker that could easily hand the 24-0 Nurmy his first loss.
Today, we’re projecting the likely UFC odds at BookMaker.eu. Oddsmakers should release official lines shortly, but a fight this awesome needs to be speculated on immediately. We’ll make sure to keep you posted with all the latest updates, so keep checking back in.
Projected UFC Odds at BookMaker.eu
Khabib Nurmagomedov -160
Edson Barboza +175
Why You Should Be Excited
There are three lightweight fighters who are regarded as the best in the world: Conor McGregor, Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov. And you could make the argument that Khabib is the most dominant of the bunch. A lot of people have been saying as much for years.
Quite frankly, we’ve never seen a wrestler as dominant as The Eagle. It’s scary how easily he can take guys down and bloody them up. The ice-cold demeanor with which he demolishes opponents makes it all the more compelling to watch. In his last matchup with Michael Johnson, Khabib was calmly telling him in between punches that he needed to give up so the Russian could fight for the title.
In Barboza, you have one of the most devastating leg kickers in UFC history. Nobody targets the leg like he does, and watching him chop a fighter down is a thrilling experience. It’s hard to not cringe as Barboza turns a leg purple. Guys know what’s coming, yet they can’t do anything to stop it.
In fact, Barboza’s legs in general are basically murder weapons in their own right. His spinning wheel kick of Terry Etim is one of the most replayed highlights of all time. His body kick felled Evan Dunham. And a flying knee ended Beneil Dariush’s night in an instant.
After watching Khabib get lit up by Michael Johnson for a few minutes before he took the fight to the mat, it’s easy to see an even better striker like Barboza landing something crazy. This is MMA, where anything could happen. Of course, Khabib could also bring his record to 25-0 and force his way into a fight with McGregor. In terms of divisional impact, this is a massive fight that cannot be missed.
Bet on UFC odds at BookMaker.eu
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UFC 219 takes place on Saturday, December 30, 2017 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The card airs live on pay-per-view starting 10 p.m. ET.
