Dagestani prospect Zubaira Tukhugov (19-4, 7 KOs, 1 SUB) will meet Canadian “Mean” Hakeem Dawodu (11-1, 7 KOs) at UFC 253 on Saturday, September 26, 2020 at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The pay-per-view card airs live starting 10pm ET, headlined by a middleweight title match between champion Israel “The Last Stylebender” Adesanya (19-0, 14 KOs) and undefeated knockout artist Paulo “Borrachinha” Costa (13-0, 11 KOs, 1 SUB). Let’s take a closer look at Tukhugov-Dawodu and break down your best betting options - the UFC odds at BookMaker.eu opened with the matchup as a pick’em, with both fighters priced at -115.
Bet on UFC at BookMaker.eu
Zubaira Tukhugov (19-4, 7 KOs, 1 SUB)
You probably know Tukhugov as Khabib Nurmagomedov’s training partner and the guy that tried to punch Conor McGregor in that infamous post-fight brawl. He was suspended for a year for his part in that melee. But Tukhugov is actually a pretty solid prospect - it’d be impossible to train with Khabib every day and not be legit inside the octagon.
Tukhugov started his UFC career with three straight wins, before losing a tough split decision to Carneiro in 2016. That loss aged well, as Moicano went on to become a legitimate contender. But injuries and the suspension kept Tukhugov out of the octagon for three years, before he returned to muster a split draw with Lerone Murphy. Perhaps we can chalk that up to ring rust, as he scored a quick knockout over Kevin Aguilar in his last outing.
Though we expect Dagestanis to be powerful wrestlers, Tukhugov is more of a power striker. While lacking a high KO ratio, he can do serious damage with single strikes, and his explosive speed and athleticism makes him a handful for anyone.
Hakeem Dawodu (11-1, 7 KOs)
As one of the better homegrown WSOF fighters, Dawodu’s hype was quickly shattered in his UFC debut when he was subbed by Danny Henry in less than 40 seconds. But since then, the Canadian has reeled off four straight wins inside the octagon, coming against mid-level competition like Kyle Bochniak and Yoshinori Horie. In his last outing, Dawodu squeaked by Julio Arce with a split decision.
Dawodu looks the part of a contender - he’s a jacked 145er with explosive athleticism. There’s a lot to love about his kickboxing game, which is effective yet brutal. When he’s on, Dawodu simply overwhelms opponents with physicality and clubbing strikes. The question is if he can level up his all-around game, as walking guys down won’t work as he faces better competition in a stacked division. In particular, we’d like to see him pay more attention to defense: Hakeem has a habit of disregarding his foes and ends up taking a few pops because of it. If he fought smart from bell to bell, Dawodu could be a guy to watch.
Significant Striking Stats
Strikes landed per minute: Dawodu 5.91 / Tukhugov 2.53
Striking accuracy: Dawodu 47% / Tukhugov 35%
Strikes absorbed per minute: Dawodu 2.19 / Tukhugov 2.09
Striking defense: Dawodu 63% / Tukhugov 69%
Grappling Stats
Takedowns per 15 minutes: Dawodu 0 / Tukhugov 2.13
Takedown accuracy: Dawodu - / Tukhugov 46%
Takedown defense: Dawodu 87% / Tukhugov 100%
Submissions per 15 minutes: Dawodu 0 / Tukhugov 0
UFC Picks
In a standup battle, Dawodu is apt to throw far more strikes, as his striking rate is double that of Tukhugov’s. The Canadian has also never been knocked out, so we trust his ability survive against a fighter not known for one-hitter quitter power. There is the very real possibility that Tukhugov forces this to the mat, but Dawodu has proven extremely difficult to take down and the Dagestani fighter is not his training partner. The most likely outcome is Dawodu outpoints Tukhugov in a tense affair.
UFC 253: Adesanya vs. Costa Card & Odds
Middleweight Championship: Paulo Costa +150 vs. Israel Adesanya -181
Light Heavyweight Championship: Jan Blachowicz +221 vs. Dominick Reyes -274
Flyweight: Brandon Royval +188 vs. Kai Kara France -230
Featherweight: Hakeem Dawodu -107 vs. Zubaira Tukhugov -117
Welterweight: Diego Sanchez +480 vs. Jake Matthews -678
Lightweight: Alex Da Silva +249 vs. Brad Riddell -313
Light Heavyweight: William Knight +143 vs. Aleksa Camur -171
Heavyweight: Jeff Hughes +228 vs. Juan Espino -284
Light Heavyweight: Danilo Marques +138 vs. Khadis Ibragimov -166
Featherweight: Ludovit Klein +103 vs. Shane Young -127
Women's Bantamweight: Sijara Eubanks +158 vs. Ketlen Vieira -191
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook! Real-time spreads, totals, props, and money lines are all available so start betting with BookMaker today.
