No. 4 lightweight Edson Barboza (19-5, 11 KOs 1 SUB) will meet No. 7 Kevin Lee (16-3, 1 KO, 8 SUBs) at UFC Fight Night 128 on Saturday, April 21, 2018 at the Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The card airs live on FS1 starting 10 p.m. ET. Bet on the latest UFC odds at BookMaker.eu and get the latest betting previews, predictions and picks now.
Edson Barboza can’t seem to get away from wrestlers. Just one fight after getting ragdolled by Khabib Nurmagomedov, the explosive Brazilian will meet another powerful wrestler in Kevin Lee. But Kevin isn’t Khabib, and Barboza’s chances at putting away the grappler are much better this time around.
The pairing serves as the main event of this Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 128, and it’s a pivotal lightweight tilt between the No. 4 and No. 8 ranked fighters. Though Nurmagomedov smashed Barboza’s title hopes and Lee failed in an interim title bid against Tony Ferguson, the winner of this bout will keep his name among the elite in the UFC’s most loaded division.
Plus, this is just a sweet style matchup between a sensational striker and a top wrestler. These are the kind of fighting conflicts that MMA fans live for. Will Barboza add to a personal highlight reel brimming with Knockout of the Year candidates? Or does Lee stifle the dynamic striker and suffocate him?
Most importantly, how should you bet this fight? Let’s check the UFC odds at BookMaker.eu and break down your best betting options.
UFC Odds at BookMaker.eu
Edson Barboza +118
Kevin Lee -148
Fight goes/doesn’t go to decision: +150 / -190
Striking Stats
Significant strikes landed per minute: Barboza 3.79 / Lee 3.64
Accuracy: Barboza 40.83% / Lee 42.03%
Significant strikes absorbed per minute: Barboza 3.73 / Lee 3.09
Defense: Barboza 62.85% / Lee 52.34%
Grappling Stats
Takedown average: Barboza 0.54 / Lee 3.45
Takedown accuracy: Barboza 53.85% / Lee 42.42%
Takedown defended: Barboza 83.33% / Lee 73.91%
Submission average: Barboza 0.8 / Lee 1.35
Matchup Preview
The striking stats don’t do justice to the talent gap between these two. Barboza is one of the best kickboxers at lightweight, and Lee is still developing on the feet. Any moment where Edson is on his feet is one where he could end the fight - with an array of dazzling techniques. He flatlined Beneil Dariush with a flying knee, sent Terry Etim into the shadow realm with a spinning heel kick and folded Evan Dunham with a body kick.
Barboza is an electric athlete, attacks with all eight points, and has fight-ending power. But to win this scrap, he has to stay on the feet. 83% takedown defense is awesome, but that proved useless against Khabib. Can Lee do the same thing? “The Motown Phenom” was able to take Tony Ferguson a few times before succumbing to exhaustion, and prior to that he submitted three straight opponents.
UFC Odds Pick: Fight goes to decision at +150
Picking a winner is tough considering the competitive nature of the fight and the near pick’em odds. But we love the price on the prop that this goes to the cards. Though Lee hasn’t been to a decision in eight straight fights, he’ll have to wrestle against a dude that was tough enough to take heavy fire from Khabib for five rounds and make it to the end. The fact that this is a three round fight also helps.
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 on UFC Fight Night 128 takes place on Saturday, April 21, 2018 at the Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The card airs live on FS1 starting 10 p.m. ET.
