Surging welterweight Vicente Luque (16-6, 9 KOs, 6 SUBs) will meet knockout artist Mike Perry (13-4, 11 KOs) at UFC on ESPN+ 14 on Saturday, August 10, 2019 at the Antel Arena in Montevideo, Uruguay. The card streams live on ESPN+ starting 8pm ET.
This Saturday’s matchup between Vicente Luque and Mike Perry shows how the UFC marketing machine plays favorites.
Perry is obviously an easy sell: he’s a mean-mugging knockout puncher. He looks and talks like an MMA fighter to the point where he’s almost a walking cliche. Given his fighting style, he’d be an easy sell to fans as a killer contender with one-shot kill power. Unfortunately, he’s failed to live up to those expectations - though he still has time to turn things around at 27 years old.
On the other hand, Vicente Luque has had a hard time getting premium welterweight matchups - despite his recent 9-1 record. The last time he met a contender with was in 2017, where he lost a decision matchup to Leon Edwards. Though he’s one five straight since then, it’s only now that the UFC is matching him up with a name that’s somewhat recognizable to casual fans.
Such is life in the UFC - where the ability to draw viewers is far more important than the ability to win. Luque has to know that a loss here would affect him much more than if Perry lost. But if Luque were to pull off the win, it’d be really hard to ignore a welterweight on a six-fight win streak.
Let’s take a look at the UFC odds at online sportsbook and break down your best betting picks. Live UFC betting at BookMaker.eu is available to hedge your bets between rounds as well.
UFC odds at BookMaker.eu
Vicente Luque -224
Mike Perry +196
Fight goes/doesn’t go to decision: +175 / -245
Significant Striking Stats
Landed per minute: Luque 5.13 / Perry 4.02
Accuracy: Luque 57% / Perry 45%
Absorbed per minute: Luque 4.67 / Perry 4.44
Defense: Luque 54% / Perry 57%
Grappling Stats
Takedown average: Luque 1.19 / Perry 0.83
Takedown accuracy: Luque 50% / Perry 55%
Takedown defense: Luque 62% / Perry 68%
Submission average: Luque 1.19 / Perry 0
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It’s time for the UFC to get behind Luque. Maybe he won’t be a title contender, but there’s no denying that the dude is fun as hell to watch. He’s got filthy knockout power and slick submissions, but it’s his style that makes him so entertaining: the Brazilian throws everything at 100%, from the opening second to the final bell. That’s a lot for an opponent to handle, especially when Luque lands over five strikes a minute. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have the cardio of somebody like Tony Ferguson, and it’s common to see him start breaking down in later rounds.
It was only a couple of fights ago Mike Perry was cornered by a girlfriend who moonlighted as a tennis instructor, leading to a lot of what the hell is he doing speculation. But he made the move to Jackson-Wink a few years ago, and it finally seems to be paying off. His coaches have developed a more patient, defensively sound striker, which makes his knockout power all the more dangerous. Beating the tough Alex Oliveira was a huge step forward for the young Perry, and it shows that he hasn’t plateaud just yet.
Perry will have to be on his game from the jump - Luque has won three of his last four by first round knockout. However, if the Jackson-Wink rep handle the initial onslaught, the fight tilts in his favor has Luque’s gas tank should drain quickly from there.
UFC Odds Pick: Luque to win at -220
There are just too many ways that Luque can attack here: whether he tires Perry out with his high output are tests the submission defense, we see the American getting overwhelmed one way or another.
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