Chinese slugger Li Jingliiang (16-5, 6 KOs, 5 SUBs) will meet Brazil’s Eliezeu Dos Santos (21-5, 14 KOs, 3 SUBs) at UFC on ESPN+ 15 on Saturday, August 31, 2019 at the Unversiade Sports Arena in Shenzhen, China. The card airs live at 10pm ET.
If there’s a UFC card in China, there’s a good chance that Li Jingliang will be on it. That’s the case this Saturday, when “The Leech” fights on his home soil in Shenzhen against Brazil’s Elizeu Zaleski Dos Santos. Obviously, expect a partisan crowd to favor the native fighter.
As for Jingliang’s place in the welterweight hierarchy, there was hope that the 31-year old would become a contender that won over a massive Chinese market. While he’s put together a solid 8-3 record inside the octagon, he has yet to score a signature win to get him inside the top 15. The China Top Team rep could settle in as one of the better fighters in the middle class, as he’s found consistent results against fighters like Zak Ottow, Daichi Abe and David Zawada.
The matchup against Dos Santos is an important one. While the Brazilian isn’t a recognizable name, he enters the contest on a seven-fight win streak and a No. 13 ranking. Basically, he could be Li’s ticket to finally getting a number next to his name. Dos Santos also benefits from having faced a slightly higher level of competition, including wins over Max Griffin, Sean Strickland and Curtis Millender. To top it off, he’s coming off a big victory over prospect Curtis Millender.
Let’s take a look at the UFC odds at BookMaker.eu and break down your betting options. Live UFC betting at the online sportsbook is also available during the contest.
UFC Odds at BookMaker.eu
Li Jingliang -306
Elizeu Dos Santos +232
Fight goes/doesn’t go to decision: +150 / -190
Significant Striking Stats
Landed per minute: Jingliang 5.01 / Dos Santos 4.27
Accuracy: Jingliang 42% / Dos Santos 41%
Absorbed per minute: Jingliang 3.53 / Dos Santos 2.86
Defense: Jingliang 60% / Dos Santos 62%
Grappling Stats
Takedown average: Jingliang 1.14 / Dos Santos 0.53
Takedown accuracy: Jingliang 33% / Dos Santos 15%
Takedown defense: Jingliang 62% / Dos Santos 50%
Submission average: Jingliang 0 / Dos Santos 0.7
Bet this UFC fight at BookMaker.eu
Li has gotten a rep as a dirty fighter, with his blatant eye gouging of Jake Matthews is the most glaring example. While it’s somewhat deserved, we shouldn’t overlook the fact that Li is a pretty good fighter in spite of his questionable tactics.
Prior to the UFC, Li earned his bread with a suffocating top game. But soon after joining the big show, it seemed as if he saw the need to become a more exciting fighter. Quickly, he turned into an aggressive brawler who was willing to stalk forward and trade big shots. It’s actually gone pretty well for somebody who completely changed his style. You can get pretty far with natural striking power, a well-rounded kickboxing arsenal and serious durability.
Dos Santos has quietly become one of the most exciting fighters in a flashy division. There’s nothing showy about his game, but it never gets old watching dudes press forward and wing power strikes. When he’s on, you get results like his impressive knockout of Sean Strickland. However, it’s a style that can lead to 50-50 wards, like his hard-fought decisions over Lyman Good and Max Griffin.
If there’s a prop bet for fight of the night, this would be the favorite - expect both men to come forward and start throwing bombs. The question here is who goes down first.
UFC Odds Pick: Dos Santos to win at -306
This is an extremely tough matchup to call, but overall we think Dos Santos is the more athletic fighter with proven results against slightly better competition. Expect Dos Santos to be the more effective striker and take the win on points.
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