Khaos Williams is slightly favored against Carlston Harris at UFC Fight Night: Barboza vs. Murphy on Saturday, May 18 in Las Vegas, Nevada. This event is one of 12 fights on ESPN+. Williams is 14-3 in his career, including 5-2 in the UFC, while Harris is 19-5 in his career, including 4-1 in the UFC. There are a total of 12 fights, all on ESPN+ at UFC Fight Night: Barboza vs. Murphy. Let’s look at the bout between Williams and Harris and UFC predictions.
UFC Fight Night: Barboza vs. Murphy takes place at UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday, May 18 with 12 fights, all on ESPN+.
UFC Fight Night: Barboza vs. Murphy Betting
Khaos Williams (14-3, 5-2 UFC)
Williams came into the UFC with a record of 9-1 and he has five wins and two losses in the UFC. He defeated Alex Morono by KO, Abdul Razak Alhassan by KO, Matthew Semelsberger by unanimous decision, Miguel Baeza by TKO, and Rolando Bedoya by split decision; while losing to Michel Pereira by unanimous decision and Randy Brown by split decision. Williams has been a pro since 2017 and he has seven wins by TKO/KO and one by submission. He has six first round finishes.
Carlston Harris (19-5, 4-1 UFC)
Harris came into the UFC with a record of 15-4 and he has four wins and one loss in the UFC. He defeated Christian Aguilera by technical submission, Impa Kasanganay by TKO, Jared Gooden by unanimous decision, and Jeremiah Wells by technical submission; while losing to Shavkat Rakhmonov by KO. Harris has been a pro since 2011 and he has five wins by TKO/KO and six by submission. He has six first round finishes.
Striking Stats
Strikes landed per minute: Williams 5.77 /Harris 2.93
Striking Accuracy: Williams 39% /Harris 49%
Strikes absorbed per minute: Williams 5.33/Harris 2.44
Defense: Williams 42% /Harris 53%
Grappling Stats
Takedown average: Williams 0.00/Harris 2.05
Takedown Accuracy: Williams 0%/Harris 29%
Takedowns defended: Williams 80%/Harris 55%
Submission average: Williams 0.0/Harris 0.8
UFC Picks
Williams returns in an interesting situation. He’s only fought twice in the past two years, and both were split decisions. He came out on top at UFC 288 last spring, improving his UFC record to 5-2, and his overall record to 14-3. The 36-year-old Harris is an underrated fighter. He has gone 4-1 in the Octagon, with three finishes, and his only loss was to Shavkat Rakhmonov. Last time Harris fought he looked good in a win over Jeremiah Wells.
Williams is known for his striking and knockout power. He combines explosive speed and oftentimes he will simply overwhelm his opponents with his striking. There is no question he has the ability to finish this fight. His win against Miguel Baeza in November 2021 showed his knockout power.
Harris is more well-rounded, as he has a strong ground game and solid striking. He has excelled in submissions, but he has also shown good power. He showed his ground skills when he beat Christian Aguilera by submission in May of 2021 and he showed his knockout power in his win against Impa Kasanganay in September of 2021.
Williams is listed as the slight favorite in UFC odds in this fight against Harris and I agree with the oddsmakers, as I don’t see much separating these two fighters. I think Williams has more power, while Harris is better on the mat. The question I have is whether or not Harris will be intelligent enough to try to get this fight to the ground. If he simply stands and gets into a striking battle then Williams should win. I think one of these two is likely to make a major mistake, whether it is standing or on the ground, and give the other fighter a chance to get the finish. The UFC betting rounds option at 2.5 is the one I am choosing for this fight. I will lay the price and take the rounds to go under the total.
| DATE | FIGHTERS | MONEY LINE |
| 05/18 | Lerone Murphy | -140 |
| Edson Barboza | +110 |
| 05/18 | Carlston Harris | +100 |
| Khaos Williams | -130 |
| 05/18 | Vinicius Salvador | +261 |
| Adrian Yanez | -350 |
| 05/18 | Angela Hill | -140 |
| Luana Pinheiro | +110 |
| 05/18 | Ramiz Brahimaj | +110 |
| Themba Gorimbo | -140 |
| 05/18 | Warlley Alves | +235 |
| Abus Magomedov | -311 |
| 05/18 | Tom Nolan | -500 |
| Victor Martinez | +351 |
| 05/18 | Ariane Carnelossi | +158 |
| Piera Rodriguez | -200 |
| 05/18 | Emily Ducote | -350 |
| Vanessa Demopoulos | +261 |
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