SMUGGLING DUDS UFC 267 GAMBLING GUIDE

After a few Fight Nights it’s time for the UFC to head back to Fight Island and bring out a card that includes some huge names and an outstanding main card featuring not one but two title fights!

Main Card (BT Sport)
Jan Blachowicz (c) Vs Glover Teixeira (Light Heavyweight)
You can’t deny at the age of 41, Glover Teixeira, now looking for his sixth straight win, is looking the best he ever has. The Brazilian has done everything he has needed to do in order to become an all-rounder, and his previous bouts have displayed some incredible stand up, defence and submissions. Can he beat the champion? Our heart says yes but our bead says no. In 2021 it would be wrong to pick against Jan Blachowicz, so we aren’t going to anymore. Teixeira fans look away now.
WINNER: Blachowicz
METHOD: KO/TKO

Petr Yan (c) Vs Cory Sandhagen (Bantamweight)
There has been much talk from Cory Sandhagen leading into this one who is adamant he is going to take out the hard-hitting Russian. You can’t really compare Yan to Sandhagan’s previous KO victims as both Frankie Edgar, and Marlon Moraes, have much softer chins. Talk is cheap when it comes to Petr Yan, and he tends to let his fists do the talking. We are looking forward to seeing this one play out as many will expect this to be FOTN, based on the fact these two athletes prefer to keep their battles on the feet. He may not get the stoppage so Yan by decision is worth a punt as well for sure.
WINNER: Yan
METHOD: KO/TKO

Islam Makhachev Vs Dan Hooker (Lightweight)
Dan Hooker seems like a top bloke, so it always pains us to pick against him but we can’t see a way he wins this unfortunately. Makhachev should be able to close down any form of danger from the Kiwi in the early seconds of the fight and play this one out to the beat of a unanimous decision.
WINNER: Mackhachev
METHOD: Decision

Alexander Volkov Vs Marcin Tybura (Lightweight)
It wouldn’t be too long ago that Volvok would have been an easy pick for us here, but not anymore. 2019 was a huge bump in the road for Marcin Tybura but the Jackson-Wink fighter has shown vast improvements and is whilst not the most imposing heavyweight on the UFC roster, he is definitely game. Whilst this probably won’t go down in MMA history as an all-out war, the underdog should still prevail.
WINNER: Tybura
METHOD: KO/TKO

Li Jingliang Vs Khamzat Chimaev (Welterweight)
Arguably the most intriguing bout on the card based on the fact this really is Chimaev’s toughest test to date since joining the UFC. Is Khamzat really that good? Can he overpower someone as durable as Li Jingliang? He’s the next Khabib! Of course he can.
WINNER: Chimaev
METHOD: Submission

Magomed Ankalaev Vs Volkan Oezdemir (Light Heavyweight)
There was a time where Swiss brawler Volkan Oezdemir seemed utterly terrifying. Those days seem to be no more he’s not only experienced defeat, he was taken out taken out in dramatic fashion at the hands of Jiri Prochazka way back in June 2020. That was his last outing, so the fact Oezdemir has been out over a year, and is facing a man undefeated in six fights means he is really up against it here.
WINNER: Ankalaev
METHOD: KO/TKO

Preliminary Card (BT Sport)
Amanda Ribas Vs Vima Jandiroba (Women’s Strawweight)
Ribas will no doubt be the favourite to win on every MMA prediction page, but as much as we enjoy her interviews and watching her fight, we just can’t overlook the skills and grit of silent savage Virna Jandiroba!
WINNER: Jandiroba
METHOD: Submission

Ricardo Ramos Vs Zubaira Tukhugov (Featherweight)
Soviet superstar Zubaira Tukhugov has to buckle down here and really prove to his employers that he still deserves to be in the UFC. Another below par performance could see a few heads being scratched from his employers. Whilst he’s not at major risk from being cut, we are confident he’ll prove the doubters wrong in this one against a game opponent.
WINNER: Tukhugov
METHOD: KO/TKO

Albert Duraev Vs Roman Kopylov (Middleweight)
It has been a year since Russian prospect Kopylov has competed – which just so happened to be a rather disappointing UFC debut. He’s up against another Russian prospect in the form of DWCS star Albert Duraev. How much has Kopylov improved? Should he really be in the UFC? We are not convinced.
WINNER: Duraev
METHOD: Submission

Elizeu Zaleski Dos Santos Vs Benoit St Denis (Welterweight)
As a Frenchman making his UFC debut against a much more experienced UFC veteran still in his prime, this is a very bold prediction from us. So it is just as well we aren’t shy of putting our necks on the line! Expect a decent scrap here, excited to see how St Denis performs on the big stage.
WINNER: St Denis
METHOD: Submission

Michal Oleksiejczuk Vs Shamil Gamzatov (Light Heavyweight)
Oleksiejczuk screwed our accumulator earlier in the year us when we picked him to lose against Modestas Bukauskas back in March – he definitely lost but unfortunately the judges didn’t feel the same way. Unless he brings something we haven’t seen already to the table, Gamzatov rides this one out with ease.
WINNER: Gamzatov
METHOD: Decision

Makwan Amirkhani Vs Lerone Murphy (Featherweight)
It could be argued we are being over confident with this prediction, and overly rooting for the Brit but we will stick to our guns and say Lerone Murphy produces the goods against an elite level opponent who is fighting to stay in the UFC. Could be a potential FOTN for sure.
WINNER: Murphy
METHOD: KO/TKO

Hu Yaozong Vs Andre Petroski (Middleweight)
Petroski to build on his impressive performance against Michael Gillmore in August and showcase another knockout.
WINNER: Petroski
METHOD: KO/TKO

Damir Ismagulov Vs Magomed Mustafaev (Lightweight)
The king of decision wins to win this one via decision! Mustafeav could potentially take out his opponent but the longer this one goes the more likely the outcome.
WINNER: Ismagulov
METHOD: Decision

Tagir Ulanbekov Vs Allan Nascimento (Flyweight)
Nascimento fell short on DWCS but after a win on the domestic scene in his native Brazil means he still makes it to the UFC. We are not convinced he’s ready and foresee Ulanbekov winning by submission in round 2.
WINNER: Ulanbekov
METHOD: Submission

UFC 267 WILD CARD BET:  Li Jinliang to defeat Khamzat Chimaev via TKO/KO