No. 4 light heavyweight Jimi “Poster Boy” Manuwa (17-3, 15 KOs, 1 SUB) will meet slugger Jan Blachowicz (21-7, 5 KOs, 8 SUBs) at UFC Fight Night 127 on Saturday, March 17, 2018 at the O2 Arena in London England. The entire card streams live on UFC Fight Pass. Bet on the latest UFC odds and get the latest betting tips, previews and predictions at BookMaker.eu now!
Jan Blachowicz is getting another shot at Jimi Manuwa. This time, a top-5 rank is on the line. And in a vacuum, this should be a fantastic slugfest between two dudes who love to bang. Jimi Manuwa might just be the division’s hardest puncher (we miss your Rumble), and Blachowicz always seems to get into gutsy trench wars.
The two will meet in Manuwa’s home country of England this Saturday, in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 127. Manuwa should have a partisan crowd, but Blachowicz hails from nearby Poland, so he’ll likely have plenty of fans in attendance too.
So how will this fight go? And how should you betting it? We got you covered with the latest UFC odds at BookMaker.eu, along with a fight preview and betting picks.
UFC Odds at BookMaker.eu
Jimi Manuwa -210
Jan Blachowicz +170
Over/under 2.5 rounds , over -125, under -105
The Stakes
Manuwa has been chilling in the top 5 for a while now. A title shot has eluded him though, as he’s lost in every matchup that would have likely earned him a challenge. With his ranking and flashy style, he’s only a few wins away from entering the conversation again. Of course, a loss to somebody like Blachowicz would immediately remove him from the picture for the foreseeable future.
For Blachowicz, a win over Manuwa would be the biggest of his career. Only one of his past opponents, Alexander Gustafsson, has matched Manuwa’s divisional stature: two-time challenger Alexander Gustafsson. Blachowicz has always been written off as a fun slugger but nothing more, and a victory could change that narrative.
Matchup Preview
Their first fight wasn’t actually much fun. Manuwa was the main aggressor throughout, but there was a lot of clinching and calls for action from the ref. Let’s hope this time around, thes guys remember that they’ve got lethal strikes and engage a bit more.
We’ll assume that these guys aren’t the same fighters they were in 2015. What can we expect? In general Blachowicz is the type of fighter that forces opponents into battles of attrition. He’s big, hits hard and can grind on the mat. In his last matchup, his rangy striking allowed him to keep Jared Cannonier - an explosive athlete with killer punching power - at bay, which in turn earned him a tense UD.
He also showed some submission craftiness just one fight prior, locking up a standing choke on Devin Clark. Despite just a 4-4 record inside the octagon, Blachowicz always puts up a tough fight, and he’s never been finished inside the UFC.
Manuwa is coming off a loss to Volkan Oezdemir, who iced him with a first round flash knockout. While the jury is still out on how good Volkan is, it was Manuwa’s third stoppage by strikes in the past few years. We’re not saying that Poster Boy has a glass chin, but the 38-year old can clearly be stopped by heavy hitters.
Fortunately for him, he’s more likely to put somebody out then get lit up. Manuwa is a sniping specialist, loading up on single power shots that change the course of the fight. His athleticism lets him cover distance quickly, which will help the 5’11” Brit against the 6’2” Blachowicz. We can definitively say that Blachowicz has an iron chin, as he’s never been knocked out and has taken serious beating. Then again, not many guys hits as hard and fast as Manuwa.
UFC Betting Tips
We like Blachowicz’ money line as an underdog. His performance against Cannonier, a similar fighter, should give you some confidence that Blachowicz can implement a long range kickboxing approach and frustrate Manuwa. At these odds, it’s worth a bet.
UFC Odds Pick: Blachowicz to win at +170
Bet on UFC odds at BookMaker.eu
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker sportsbook! Real-time spreads, totals, props and money line are all available so start betting with BookMaker today.
UFC Fight Night 127 takes place on Saturday, March 17, 2018 at the O2 Arena in London England. The entire card streams live on UFC Fight Pass
