Light heavyweight contender Ovince St. Preux (22-11, 10 KOs, 7 SUBs) will meet rising prospect Tyson Pedro (7-1, 2 KOs, 5 SUBs) at UFC Fight Night 132 on Saturday, June 23, 2018 at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore. The card airs live on UFC Fight Pass starting 8 am ET.
Tyson Pedro, step right up and prove that you’re a certified light heavyweight gangster. This Saturday, the young Aussie prospect squares off against former title challenger Ovince St. Preux, who steps into the gatekeeper role. OSP is coming off a surprising first-round loss to Ilir Latifi, but he’s a well-known commodity in the division, and beating him means somethings
But is the 26-year old Pedro ready for this? He’s 7-1 as a pro fighter, with his only loss coming against Latifi as well. But while OSP has been scrapping against guys like Jon Jones, Volkan Oezdemir and Glover Teixeira, Pedro’s been busy with midcard talent like Saparbek Safarov and Paul Craig.
What we know for sure is that 205 sure could use some young bucks in the top 10 - it’s an aging division with a lot of older vets occupying the higher ranks. So do you bet on the younger, fresher fighter or take the experienced guy? Let’s break down the matchup, the UFC odds at BookMaker.eu and go over your best betting options.
UFC Odds at BookMaker.eu
Ovince St. Preux +100
Tyson Pedro -130
Fight goes/doesn’t go to decision: +140 / -180
Striking Stats
Significant strikes landed p/m: OSP 2.7 / Pedo 2.58
Accuracy: OSP 45.56% / Pedro 58.82%
Significant strikes absorbed p/m: OSP 2.54 / Pedro 2.46
Defense: OSP 46.31% / Pedro 49.24%
Grappling Stats
Takedown average: OSP 1.21 / Pedro 1.1
Takedown accuracy: OSP 48.65% / Pedro 66.67%
Takedowns defended: OSP 63.95% / Pedro 53.85%
Submission average: OSP 0.6 / Pedro 1.1
Matchup Breakdown
The first thing you’ll notice about these two is that they’re both big 205ers. Each man is 6’3” with filled out frames. Of the two, St. Preux is the better athlete, having played defensive end at the university of Tennessee. But Pedro has speed and agility at his size as well, though they both use their physical tools differently.
Though OSP is now 35, he is still one of the more explosive athletes in the division. A southpaw, the Knoxville MMA rep prefers to keep fights standing, where he loves to launch nuclear head kicks and lunging left hands. His height and length makes him dangerous at distance, but he’s never been a rhythm fighter nor does he have a high output.
When it comes to grappling, St. Preux is not an excellent wrestler. He makes up for this with underrated submission savvy. When in control, he can set up advanced locks and chokes, and is particularly slick with the shoulder choke. However, Pedro is a guy that prefers to fight on the mat.
While Pedro hits hard, he’s most comfortable when he’s on top of a guy. From that position, he loves to pound away and open opens up for passes and submission attempts. While not a great wrestler, Pedro is a very good clinch fighters and can be tricky with his takedowns. His striking is still a work in progress, so he will not want to stand up with St. Preux for too long.
UFC Odds Pick: Pedro to win at -130
This is a difficult call: on paper, OSP is far more experienced. But in recent years, he’s been extremely inconsistent. Perhaps it’s age or a physical decline, but there have been recent fights where he gasses early and looks tentative. Against a fresh young guy who will grind on him from the clinch and be relentless in the takedown attempts, OSP will likely fade.
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 UFC Fight Night 132 takes place on Saturday, June 23, 2018 at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore. The card airs live on UFC Fight Pass starting 8 am ET.
