Featherweight bangers Jeremy Stephens (26-14, 16 KOs, 3 SUBs) and Doo Ho Choi (14-2, 11 KOs, 1 SUB) will meet at UFC Fight Night 124 on Sunday, January 14, 2018 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri. The main card airs live on FS1 starting 10pm ET. Bet on the latest UFC odds and get previews, predictions and picks and BookMaker.eu now!
The last time Doo Ho Choi was inside the octagon, he put on an instant classic with Cub Swanson that was voted ESPN’s Fight of the Year. More than a year later, the South Korean will return to the octagon for a scrap that could be every bit as epic. This time, it’ll be the hard-hitting Jeremy Stephen who’ll likely oblige Choi in a slugfest.
It’s a pairing that’ll headline this Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 124 in St. Louis. The fact that Stephens and Choi are respectively ranked No. 9 and No. 13 show how deep this division is - but Choi has breakout potential as an native Asian star should he put together a strong winning streak.
Let’s take a look at the UFC odds at BookMaker.eu, break down the matchup and go over your best betting options.
UFC Odds at BookMaker.eu
Doo Ho Choi -160
Jeremy Stephens +130
Over/under 1.5 rounds, over -235, under +195
Matchup Breakdown
Let’s call both men technical brawlers. Neither are afraid to stand and trade, yet they are too refined to come forward and start throwing wild haymakers. However, each can be baited into such a battle, and in that case all bets are off. With none of them offering much threat as grapplers, this fight projects to be a deadly sparring match.
Stephens is who he is after 10 years and more than 25 bouts in the UFC. A sprawl-and-brawler, “Lil’ Heathen” is more of a hard hitter than a knockout puncher. The 31-year old is also the more dynamic overall kickboxer, mixing up his hooks and uppercuts with leg and head kicks. Though he is a polished striker, he has a tendency to rely on power - which has led him to overlook the fundamentals like the basic 1-2.
We know less of Choi, though the Korean has been on the radars of many experts for years. Despite his unassuming looks, the 26-year old is a true one-shot KO artist, winning his first three UFC fights by KO - in less than five minutes combined. Though he aggressively crowds the pocket, Choi waits for his opponents to strike first so he can slip-and-rip with vicious counters.
However, Cub Swanson exposed Choi’s lack of depth. He showed little head movement, had massive holes in his striking defense and had no plan but to march forward, eat punches and deliver in kind. While his chin and knockout power are good enough that he can usually win those types of battles, he had no answer for Swanson’s veteran guile. Stephens is every bit as experienced.
UFC Betting Tips
Let’s hope that Choi has made some improvements in the standup, much in the way that the Korean Zombie had to evolve from brawler into well-rounded contender. The South Korean’s ceiling is sky-high, but until he shows additional layers to his game we can’t recommend him against high-level vets like Stephens. The money line you can get on Stephens is the icing on the cake.
UFC Odds Pick: Stephens to win at +130
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UFC Fight Night 124 takes place on Sunday, January 14, 2018 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri. The main card airs live on FS1 starting 10pm ET.
