Undefeated middleweight prospect Dominick Reyes (10-0, 6 KOs, 2 SUBs) will meet former title challenger Volkan Oezdemir (15-3, 11 KOs, 1 SUB) at UFC on ESPN+ 5 on Saturday, March 16, 2019 at The O2 Arena in London, England. The card streams live on ESPN+ starting 3pm ET.
We’re about to find out if Dominick Reyes is ready to enter the title picture. The uber-athletic former NFL hopeful currently boasts an immaculate 10-0 pro MMA record, a streak that includes four UFC fights. It’s not like he’s been beating nobodies either - his last two wins came against Jared Cannonier and Ovince St. Preux. With an 80% finishing rate, the 29-year old is poised for a championship run.
His opponent, Volkan Oezdemir, knows a thing about a meteoric rise to a title shot. In 2017, he came out of nowhere to win three straight UFC fights en route to a title challenge. However, he was easily thrashed by Daniel Cormier in January 2018, then submitted by Anthony Smith later that year. The Swede is looking to start 2019 with a win, though it won’t come easy.
With Jon Jones coming off a successful title defense at UFC 235, it’s possible that Reyes could earn a title shot with a win over Oezdemir. The champ is looking to stay active this year, and “The Devastator” has the distinction of being a highly ranked light heavyweight that hasn’t had the privilege of being blown up by Bones. In a division that’s struggling to find title challengers, anyone in the top 7 has a shot of fighting for the strap.
Let’s take a look at the UFC odds at BookMaker.eu and break down your best online betting options. Live UFC betting is available between rounds on fight night if you need to hedge any of your bets.
UFC Odds at BookMaker.eu
Volkan Oezdemir +265
Dominick Reyes -205
Fight goes/doesn’t go to decision: Check for odds
Significant Striking Stats
Landed per minute: Oezdemir 5.69 / Reyes 6.49
Accuracy: Oezdemir 48% / Reyes 60%
Absorbed per minute: Oezdemir 4.84 / Reyes 2.22
Defense: Oezdemir 53% / Reyes 51%
Grappling Stats
Takedown average: Oezdemir 0.4 / Reyes 0.68
Takedown accuracy: Oezdemir 50% / Reyes 25%
Takedown defense: Oezdemir 70% / Reyes 85%
Submission average: Oezdemir 0 / Reyes 0.68
Bet on UFC Fight Night 147 Odds at BookMaker.eu
Peep those striking stats: these are two aggressive dudes that love to bang. Both Oezdemir and Reyes boast extraordinarily high rates of significant strikes landed per minute. If anything, that means this is going to be a really fun fight between different styles of striking.
Oezdemir is easily the more technical kickboxer of the two. His debut against OSP showed a preference to counterstrike, his followup against Cirkunov displayed knockout power, and the knockout win over Manuwa featured some very good clinch work. However, his losses to DC and Smith showed a big hole in his grappling game, though he won’t have to worry about it here.
Reyes’ decision win against OSP was just the second time in his career where he didn’t earn a first-round finish, and it was a necessary step for him to prove that he could hang against a UFC fighter in tactical battle. Still, Reyes’ ceiling is defined by his ability to use his athleticism and flexibility to rack up the knockout. He’s still relatively new to this game - just coming up on five years as a pro - but he’s picking things up at a frightening rate.
UFC Odds Pick: Reyes to win at -265
Oezdemir’s 2017 run has sort of a fluky quality to it - the reality is that he’s probably a mid-to-upper tier light heavyweight. On the other hand, Reyes has more potential due to his physical gifts. Given the fact that he carved up OSP with ease, he should be able to handle Oezdemir.
Bet on UFC odds online at BookMaker.eu
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+ 5 takes place on Saturday, March 16, 2019 at The O2 Arena in London, England. The card streams live on ESPN+ starting 3pm ET.
