No. 3 heavyweight Curtis “Razor” Blaydes (12-2, 9 KOs) will meet former champion Junior dos Santos (21-6, 15 KOs, 1 SUB) at UFC on ESPN+24 on Saturday, January 25, 2019 at the PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. The card airs live starting 8pm ET.
Curtis Blaydes just might be the best heavyweight who has not yet fought for the title. He’ll attempt to take another step towards the elusive shot this Saturday, when he meets former champion Junior Dos Santos in a main event matchup in Raleigh.
It’s likely that the Elevation Fight Team product would have challenged for the title by now, if not for two losses to Francis Ngannou. Losing by first-round knockout both times, the contests are the only black marks on Blaydes’ MMA career - he’s unbeaten in every other fight, with a resume that includes wins over Alexey Oleynik, Mark Hunt and Alistair Overeem. At 28 years old, he’s young (especially for the division), big, athletic and explosive.
Dos Santos is coming off a loss to Ngannou, snapping a three-fight win streak that brought him back into title contention. Though the Brazilian suffered a few punishing losses, he’s largely established himself as the top gatekeeper in the division. It would take a prolonged win streak for him to get a third title shot, but it’s not ridiculous to believe that he could earn it in a shallow weight class. Beating a young stud like Blaydes would be a huge statement for the veteran.
The UFC odds at BookMaker.eu opened with Blaydes as a big -240 favorite, with JDS at +190 on the comeback. Let’s break down your betting options at the online sportsbook - live UFC betting is available during the fight as well.
UFC Odds at BookMaker.eu
Curtis Blaydes -245
Junior Dos Santos +190
Fight goes/doesn’t go to decision: +290 / -410
Significant Striking Stats
Strikes landed per minute: Blaydes 3.71 / Dos Santos 4.76
Striking accuracy: Blaydes 51% / Dos Santos 48%
Strikes absorbed per minute: Blaydes 2.03 / Dos Santos 3.09
Striking defense: Blaydes 55% / Dos Santos 58%
Grappling Stats
Takedowns per 15 minutes: Blaydes 6.79 / Dos Santos 0.33
Takedown accuracy: Blaydes 57% / Dos Santos 55%
Takedown defense: Blaydes 25% / Dos Santos 80%
Submission average per 15 minutes: Blaydes 0 / Dos Santos 0.07
Bet this fight at the online sportsbook
Blaydes has all the tools to be a championship contender, established by the fact that he is one of the division’s best wrestlers and has the athleticism to execute takedowns on all but the most athletic fighters (like Ngannou). His takedown rate is stellar, as is his accuracy. It’s an effective formula in any weight class, but it’s rare to see big men dominate with grappling. On top, Razor excels in brutalizing opponents with punishing ground and pound.
The striking is still a work in progress, and that will be a problem against Dos Santos. The Brazilian has long been recognized as a superior technical boxer. His stopping power has waned as he’s aged, and his chin hasn’t been the same since prolonged beatings at the hands of Cain Velasquez. But he is still a fighter that beats anybody that’s not elite in some way, shape or form.
Obviously, the question here is whether Blaydes can get this fight to the ground. That’s easier said than done, as Velasquez is the only guy that managed to do so with any consistency - and even then it required some serious early grinding. Blaydes didn’t have much trouble bringing down guys like Overeem and Justin Willis, but Dos Santos is better equipped to fend off takedowns. If he can hold off Blaydes early, the Brazilian’s chances at winning increase exponentially.
UFC Odds Pick: Dos Santos to win at +190
JDS is a serious live’ dog - especially at 2-1 odds. He has all the tools to really frustrate Blaydes here, and his wars with Velasquez has left him especially well-prepared against good wrestlers. Blaydes can pop, but he’s not the type of killshot sniper that Dos Santos really struggles with. At this price, a decent sized bet makes sense.
Bet on UFC odds at BookMaker.eu now
