Alex Perez is favored against Jordan Espinosa at UFC Fight Night 166 on Saturday, January 25 in Raleigh, North Carolina. This event is one of five fights on the main card on ESPN+. Espinosa is 14-6 in his career, while Perez is 22-5 in his career. There are a total of five fights on the main card on ESPN+ at UFC Fight Night 166 with the headliner a bout between Curtis Blaydes and Junior dos Santos. There are also a total of seven fights on the preliminary card, all on ESPN+. Let’s look at the bout between Espinosa and Perez and UFC picks.
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Jordan Espinosa (14-6, 1-1 UFC)
Espinosa came into the UFC with a record of 13-5 and he has one win and one loss in the UFC. He defeated Eric Shelton by unanimous decision; while losing to Matt Schnell by triangle choke submission. Espinosa has been a pro since 2012 and he has two wins by TKO/KO and seven by submission. He has seven first round finishes. Espinosa looked good in the Contender Series and he just got past Shelton in his debut, but he was beaten by Schnell last time out.
Alex Perez (22-5, 4-1 UFC)
Perez came into the UFC with a record of 18-4 and he has four wins and one loss in the UFC. He defeated Carls John de Tomas by anaconda choke submission, Eric Shelton by unanimous decision, Jose Torres by KO, and Mark De La Rosa by unanimous decision; while losing to Joseph Benavidez by TKO. Perez has been a pro since 2011 and he has four wins by TKO/KO and six by submission. He has nine first round finishes.
Striking Stats
Strikes landed per minute: Espinosa 4.52 / Perez 4.68
Striking Accuracy: Espinosa 58% / Perez 48%
Strikes absorbed per minute: Espinosa 3.18/ Perez 3.11
Defense: Espinosa 55% / Perez 61%
Grappling Stats
Takedown average: Espinosa 0.92/ Perez 3.13
Takedown Accuracy: Espinosa 20% / Perez 47%
Takedowns defended: Espinosa 100% / Perez 87%
Submission average: Espinosa 0.5 / Perez 1.2
UFC Picks
Perez has more experience than Espinosa but I don’t know that he should be more than a 2-1 favorite. I definitely don’t want to be laying the price on Perez, so the question is whether Espinosa is worth a play as the underdog. He could be worth a small flyer, as he has the ability to finish and this fight looks like it will end on the mat. I will take a small shot with Espinosa as the underdog. I also think the rounds are worth playing, as these two have combined for 16 first round finishes and each fighter has shown strong submission skills. I will also take this fight to go under the rounds total.
UFC Fight Night 166 takes place at PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina on Saturday, January 25, with five fights on the main card on ESPN+, headlined by Curtis Blaydes vs. Junior dos Santos and seven preliminary bouts, all on ESPN+.
Main Card (ESPN+)
Heavyweight - Curtis Blaydes -245 vs. Junior dos Santos
Welterweight - Rafael dos Anjos -265 vs. Michael Chiesa
Flyweight - Alex Perez -245 vs. Jordan Espinosa
Women's Strawweight - Angela Hill -170 vs. Hannah Cifers
Light Heavyweight - Jamahal Hill -140 vs. Darko Stošic
Preliminary Card (ESPN+)
Middleweight - Bevon Lewis -425 vs. Dequan Townsend
Featherweight - Arnold Allen -300 vs. Nik Lentz
Women's Flyweight - Lucie Pudilová -165 vs. Justine Kish
Bantamweight - Montel Jackson -575 vs. Felipe Colares
Women's Bantamweight - Sara McMann -150 vs. Lina Länsberg
Bantamweight - Tony Gravely -130 vs. Brett Johns
Featherweight - Nate Landwehr -125 vs. Herbert Burns
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