Ahead of UFC London- Blaydes vs Aspinall, we take a look at the odds, and predictions for the main card
The UFC is all set to return to action for the second time this year in the UK, after a massive blockbuster event earlier this year. The O2 Arena was electrifying and buzzing back in March, with UFC London 2022 arguably being the biggest night in UFC history. A total of 12 bouts took place in the English capital and every fight had the British crowds roaring with approval. With 17,081 fans in attendance, UFC London made history by becoming the highest-grossing single sporting event at the O2 Arena. UFC President Dana White had promised that they’d return before the end of this year owing to this grand success, and the UFC head honcho stayed true to his words.
The event was originally scheduled to be co-headlined by a middleweight bout between Darren Till and Jack Hermansson. Till unfortunately pulled out of the fight, adding to his long last woe and absence from the octagon.
Curtis Blaydes vs Tom Aspinall
Crowd favourite Tom Aspinall is all set to headline the second back-to-back London event, this time against top-ranked heavyweight fighter Curtis Blaydes.
Tom Aspinall is riding on his brilliant victory against Alexander Volkov. He absolutely bulldozed past the veteran Russian, who had no answers for Aspinall on the feet or ground. Tom Aspinall, a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, has a record of 12-2 in the sport. He made his debut in July 2020 against Jake Collier and won the fight by TKO. He has since then been on a five-fight win streak inside the UFC octagon. Currently ranked 6th in the organization, he will be looking forward to putting on a great performance against Volkov and breaking into the top-5 of the division, and landing the coveted title shot.
His opponent Curtis Blyades has fought the who’s who of this generation’s UFC heavyweight fighters, and carries a ton of experience. Curtis Blaydes is an NJCAA wrestler and won the national championship as a sophomore. His MMA game is built around his strong wrestling fundamentals. The number 4 ranked heavyweight contender has been on two four-fight win streaks, before succumbing to defeats against Francis Ngannou and Derrick Lewis that derailed his run for the title. He bounced back from his loss against Lewish with a unanimous decision victory over Jairzinho Rozenstruik.
His MMA record stands at 16 wins and 3 losses, with one no contest. Blaydes holds notable wins over big names in the heavyweight division like Alexander Volkov, Junior Dos Santos and Mark Hunt. Hailed by Khabib Nurmagomedov once as the brightest prospect, Blaydes will be looking forward to making a statement this weekend.
Our Prediction – Aspinall has to be very cautious of Blaydes’ experience and top control. Blaydes has proved it time and time again that once he establishes top control, he can keep the fight in his desired terrain for as long as he desires. This means Aspinall has to keep his bottom game on point, and make sure he does not end up playing the guard game. On the feet, he has a significant advantage, being one of the most creative strikers in the heavyweight division. In the end, we believe Tom Aspinall gets the job done against Curtis Blaydes, second or third round TKO possibly.
Odds – Curtis Blaydes +115 vs Tom Aspinall -135
Jack Hermansson vs Chris Curtis
Jack Hermansson is a Swedish-born Norwegian professional mixed martial artist. A former middleweight champion in Cage Warriors and Warrior Fight Series, he is currently ranked 8th in the middleweight division. The ‘Joker’ has been on a bumpy road currently, having won only 2 of his last 5 fights.
His opponent Chris Curtis is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship . A professional since 2009, he has also competed for the Professional Fighters League (PFL), and has an extensive MMA career outside the UFC. Since making his debut at UFC 268, he has been on a three fight win streak with two finishes.
Our Prediction- Although on paper Curtis is a favorite to beat Jack, we believe that the Hermansson’s experience inside the octagon can get the job done. If he pushes the pace from the beginning, and approaches the fight with a ‘make or break’ mentality, the ‘Joker’ can score a decision victory.
ODDS – Jack Hermansson +100 vs Chris Curtis -120
Paddy Pimblett vs Jordan Leavitt
The card also features a fight between Paddy Pimblett and Jordan Leavitt- the fight that everyone will be tuning into watch, the people’s main event. A first degree black belt in jiu-jitsu, Pimblett has taken the UFC world by storm, and made his mark in only two fights for the organization. A professional since 2012, Pimblett has a record of 18 wins and 3 losses in his Pro-MMA career.
His opponent Jordan Leavitt is an American mixed martial artist, who has been competing professionally since 2017. Leavitt was invited to Dana White’s Contender Series 27 on August 4, 2020. He won the fight via arm-triangle choke in the first round and was subsequently awarded a UFC contract. His MMA record stands at 10 wins, and 1 loss, and has competed four times inside the UFC.
Our Prediction– This fight is a clash of personalities. Both fighters are true eccentrics in their own right, and come to entertain with the whole package. While we believe that Jordan posses all the skills to beat Pimblett, the whole atmosphere and crowd support from the rowdy local crowd will rattle the American who might be caught off guard. Pimblett might pull off a submission inside the first or second round.
ODDS- Paddy Pimblett -250 vs Jordan Leavitt +210
Other Fight Odds
Light Heavyweight – Nikita Krylov -190 vs Alexander Gustafsson +160
Women’s Flyweight – Molly McCann -380 vs Hannah Goldy +310
Light Heavyweight – Paul Craig +130 vs Volkan Oezdemir -150
Lightweight – Marc Diakiese -305 vs Damir Hadžović +255
Featherweight – Nathaniel Wood -450 vs Charles Rosa +360
Featherweight – Makwan Amirkhani +175 vs Jonathan Pearce -205
Flyweight – Muhammad Mokaev -460 vs Charles Johnson +370
Lightweight – Jai Herbert -280 vs Kyle Nelson +235
Women’s Flyweight – Victoria Leonardo +135 vs Mandy Böhm -155
Welterweight – Cláudio Silva +225 vs Nicolas Dalby -265
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