The light heavyweight title is on the line Saturday night and our friends at FanDuel Sportsbook have all the odds and props you need.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship‘s light heavyweight division isn’t the deepest on paper. That’s especially true in the absence of long-time division ruler Jon Jones, who has declared a move to heavyweight, and current champion Jiří Procházka, who is sidelined with a shoulder injury severe enough to cause his title to be vacated.
Thus bringing MMA fans worldwide to UFC 282 this Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
A former champion in Jan Blachowicz will take on a surging contender in Magomed Ankalaev in a main event light heavyweight clash for the freshly vacated title. For Blachowicz, a win would mean recapturing gold and becoming a two-time champion in the division, a feat only Randy Couture and Jones had previously accomplished.
Blachowicz and his trademark “polish power” have become divisional mainstays. He’s a well-rounded fighter whose striking abilities have improved enough for him to contend with some of the world’s best. Those improvements were on full display after a successful title defense against Israel Adesanya, who many consider the best striker in all mixed martial arts, at UFC 259.
After falling to Glover Teixeira and losing his title by submission at UFC 267 just seven months later, Jan’s path back to the top began. Unfortunately for him, he’ll have to face one of the division’s scariest prospects in Ankalaev.
Magomed may not have the most exciting fighting style on the UFC roster, but he knows how to handle business. The Russian sambo champion is a patient striker who doesn’t race to beat opponents to the punch and implements a pitter-patter leg-kicking arsenal in hopes of opening up his brutal ground and pound. Those kicks were vital in his last victory against Anthony Smith, allowing him to further compromise Lionheart’s leg en route to a TKO victory.
Ankalaev experienced defeat in his first UFC fight against Paul Craig in 2018 but has since beaten his next eight opponents. Before Jiri’s injury, it was assumed that Ankalaev would need one more signature win before earning the chance to compete for a world title. With Procházka sidelined for the foreseeable future, he may be able to capitalize on the moment and jumpstart his desired path to light heavyweight greatness.
Let’s look at Saturday’s UFC 282 headlining light heavyweight title fight for Blachowicz vs. Ankalaev with some help from our friends at Fanduel Sportsbook.
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Blachowicz vs. Ankalaev Fight Info
UFC 282 — Main Event Light Heavyweight Title Bout
#2 Jan Blachowicz (29-9-0, 9 KOs, 9 Submissions)
vs.
#3 Magomed Ankalaev (18-1-0 10 KOs, 0 Submissions)
Date: Saturday, December 10, 2022
Fight Time: The main card begins at 10 p.m. ET
Venue: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Coverage: ESPN+
Blachowicz vs. Ankalaev Odds to Win
All UFC 282 odds, lines, and prop bets are available on FanDuel Sportsbook.
Moneyline
Jan Blachowicz: +250
Magomed Ankalaev: -340
UFC 282 Blachowicz vs. Ankalaev Prop Bets
Method of Victory
Blachowicz by:
KO/TKO: +550
Points: +650
Submission: +1400
Ankalaev by:
KO/TKO: +130
Points: +240
Submission: +850
Will the Fight Go the Distance?
Yes: +154
No: -205
Over/Under Total Rounds
OVER 2.5: -138
UNDER 2.5: +108
Blachowicz vs. Ankalaev Prediction
UFC 282 prediction percentages courtesy of Tapology Fight Predictions.
- Projected winner: Magomed Ankalaev (74%)
- Projected method of victory: Decision (58%)
Ankalaev is the betting favorite by a wide margin, and as long as he brings his A game, he should win this fight. He has exceptional power in both hands with striking that is quickly processing. If he can make the fight phone-booth-esque against the cage, it’ll be his most straightforward path to victory. However, as long as he can implement his wrestling, this should be a dominant performance. It may not be the most exciting fight, but winning the gold is all that matters when you’re fighting for a world title.
Blachowicz vs. Ankalaev Prediction: I’ll take Ankalaev by points. (+240)
UFC 282 Betting Trends & Stats
- Jan Blachowicz defeated Aleksandar Rakić via TKO in his most recent fight on May 14, 2022.
- Magomed Ankalaev defeated Anthony Smith by TKO in his most recent fight on July 30, 2022.
- Blachowicz averages 3.55 significant strikes landed per minute with a 49% accuracy rate.
- Ankalaev averages 3.64 significant strikes landed per minute with a 54% accuracy rate.
- Blachowicz averages 2.77 significant strikes absorbed per minute with a 54% defense rate.
- Ankalaev averages 2.14 significant strikes absorbed per minute with a 60% defense rate.
- Blachowicz has a 66% takedown defense rate.
- Ankalaev has a 86% takedown defense rate.
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