Knockout artist Jimi Manuwa (17-5, 15 KOs, 1 SUB) meets Austrian prospect Aleksandar Rakic (11-1, 8 KOs, 1 SUB) at UFC on ESPN+ 11 on Saturday, June 1, 2019 at the Ericsson Globe in Stockholm, Sweden. The card airs live on ESPN+ starting 1pm ET.
Bring up the light heavyweight division to any UFC fan, and you’ll likely be met with the same description: thin. Or shallow. And the problem is, it’s been this way for a very long time. Once a division loaded with stars, it’s in a sad state - in desperate need of young talent.
Perhaps Aleksandar Rakic can fill some of that void. The 27-year old is undefeated since losing his pro debut in 2011, an 11-fight winning streak that includes three UFC appearances. That comes with the caveat that his opponents have been guys like Francimar Barroso and Justin Ledet. This Saturday, the Austrian levels up when he meets Jimi Manuwa in Stockholm.
Of course, beating Manuwa doesn’t mean what it did a few years ago. A former top contender, “Poster Boy” comes into the matchup with three straight losses. At 39 years old, Manuwa’s career probably is coming to an end sooner than later, and it’s fair to question how much he’s got left. Still, this is a guy that’s spent time in the cage with some of the best in the division, and he can provide a stern test for Rakic.
Let’s take a look at the UFC odds at BookMaker.eu and break down your best betting options. Live UFC betting at BookMaker.eu also lets you hedge your bets between rounds.
UFC Odds at BookMaker.eu
Jimi Manuwa +175
Aleksandar Rakic -223
Fight goes/doesn’t go to decision: +205 / -285
Significant Striking Stats
Landed per minute: Manuwa 3.44 / Rakic 5.31
Accuracy: Manuwa 54% / Rakic 53%
Absorbed per minute: Manuwa 3.99 / Rakic 1.61
Defense: Manuwa 48% / Rakic 50%
Grappling Stats
Takedown average: Manuwa 0.54 / Rakic 1.32
Takedown accuracy: Manuwa 18% / Rakic 60%
Takedown defense: Manuwa 70% / Rakic 88%
Submission average: Manuwa 0.36 / Rakic 0
Bet this UFC fight at BookMaker.eu
It’s still tough to predict how Rakic will fare in the UFC. His debut against Barroso was fine, a slow-paced striking match that was nothing special. But his followup against Justin Ledet was an eye-opener - Rakic came out aggressive on the feet and showed dominant wrestling. The prospect matchup against Devin Clark was absolute chaos, as Rakic was dropped a few times, survived illegal knees, then put out Clark with a backfist.
Manuwa is a knockout artist with 15 KOs in 17 career wins, but it’s been over two years since he’s authored one. While the age is a concern, there is some truth to the saying that power is the last thing to go for a fighter. However, there is some bad signs that Manuwa’s chin is giving out, as he was knocked out by Oezdemir and Santos in less than a minute.
We fully expect Rakic to go buck wild - the tape on Manuwa shows that he doesn’t handle pressure very well. But Rakic is no Thiago Santos on the feet, nor does he have the defensive technique of Jan Blachowicz. Still, at this point, only one big shot is needed to put away Manuwa, and given Rakic’s high output, it’s hard to see him not landing one at some point in the fight.
UFC Odds Pick: Rakic to win by TKO -120
The hedge play here is Manuwa by TKO - these are the two most likeliest outcomes in this affair. We have to lean heavy on Rakic here, as he is 12 years the junior and has a style that Manuwa historically fares poorly against. Because the straight up win price is expensive, take the TKO prop and the better payout.
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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 ESPN+ 11 takes place on Saturday, June 1, 2019 at the Ericsson Globe in Stockholm, Sweden. The card airs live on ESPN+ starting 1pm ET.
