UFC Fight Night 145

The UFC likes to break into new European markets and after visiting Holland, Croatia, Poland and the UK, now the UFC is set to debut in the Czech Republic, Prague. The event will take place O2 Arena, Prague, February 23rd 2019.

The two men in the main event Jan Blachowicz vs. Thiago Santos are both on good winning runs in the light-heavyweight division, Blachowicz winning his last four and Santos winning his last three fights. Therefore, this fight could have title implications. Both fighters have knockout power and enjoy striking so this has 'Fight Of The Night' written all over it.

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Jan Błachowicz vs. Thiago Santos

Blachowicz has a clear passion for striking but his ground game has come on in the last 2 years. Although he has 4 losses in the UFC he has never looked out of his depth against fellow striking-based fighters such as Jimi Manua. The Polish kickboxer comes into the fight with a 50% strike accuracy and 3.64 significant strikes landed per minute, while also defending significant strikes 53% of the time. Santos has been a whirlwind striker since his stint on the Ultimate Fighter, beating notables Jimi Manua, Nate Marquardt and title challenger Anthony Smith. His striking power is huge and he's dangerous everywhere on the feet with creative kicks and knees. His strike accuracy is 50% with more output than Blachowicz at 5.02 significant strikes landed per minute, with his significant strike defence at 60%. It shows that Santos is generally the busier fighter with slightly better defence. I also think Santos has come up against slightly better opponents showing he is capable of beating the best in the weight class. There's is also value in the fight not going the distance.

Stefan Struve vs. Marcos Rogério de Lima

Struve's UFC tenure is now at a decade with a current UFC record of 12-9. However, 'Skyscraper' is going through his worst stint in the UFC having not won a fight since 2016 and going 0-3. at 7ft tall and a reach of 84.5" he has a unique fighting style is very hard to train for, I don't think he uses this as much as he should. He hasn't been able to maximize his natural body type nor does he use a stiff jab to keep the distance. Having said that he does have a win over former heavyweight champion and record-breaker Stipe Miocic. The Dutchman has a significant strike accuracy of 45% but a dwindling ground game that's not up to scratch with the evolving UFC roster. Rogério de Lima has a UFC record of 5-3. The Brazilian showed his strengths in his first two UFC fights where he looked like a prospect but since then he's had a checkered record. His main weapons come from striking and Struve isn't the type of fighter to take anyone down and 11 of Lima's 16 wins have come by way of KO/TKO. His significant strike accuracy is at 51% with an output of 3.57 significant strike landed per minute.

Gian Villante vs. Michał Oleksiejczuk

Neither fighter on the cusp of breaking into the title picture but this is the UFC and there's plenty of opportunities to make money and become a name for the future. Both fighters like a scrap in the Octagon with aggression being the main form of defence. Villante hits hard and has a solid boxing base although he is very easy to hit, with low-hanging hands and little head movement. Oleksiejczuk has a real opportunity to announce himself as a future prospect here with a good win of a UFC vet. He's already defeated a tough and hard-hitting Khalil Rountree. I expect this fight to have a high output with many strikes landed, possibly both fighters rocked, but the advantage is with Michał Oleksiejczuk based on movement and the fact he will have a better gas tank if it gets out the first round.

Liz Carmouche vs. Lucie Pudilová

Lucie Pudilová makes her flyweight debut in her hometown. It's always a good idea to get a hometown fighter on the European cards and Pudilová is a great fit, as she's aggressive and willing to trade in the pocket. She faces Carmouche who's been in the UFC since the first women's fight. She has knockout power and is strong in the clinch although I would say she gives up punching power to Pudilová. It's one of those fights where technique and experience could play a huge part, Carmouche has been around the block and knows how to win without taking too much damage. However, the value here is with the Czech, she is a more rounded striker and in front of her home crowd she might have a bit extra in the tank.

John Dodson vs. Petr Yan

John Dodson faces a tough Russian and former ACB champion in Petr Yan. The blueprint of Dodson is essentially written now, a heavy-handed counter striker who loves to stand and trade shots. We haven't seen much of a ground game yet but he's been around since 2011 when he beat Bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw via TKO. Since then he has been on his own title run and fell short in his title fight. But then put another run together and fought for the flyweight title for the second time and fell short. Since his second shot he has won/lost/won/lost/won/lost which shows a lot of inconsistency. On paper he's an ideal low-weight fighter. Yan, has a perfect 3-0 record in the UFC. He came with a reputation as a hard-hitting boxer with true Russian aggression and he hasn't disappointed. He's also bagged 'Fight of the Night' honors too. Although Yan aggressive and very fast I just feel Dodson has more to give, I think he hits harder and will be the fastest opponent Yan has faced, plus his wealth of experience will show through. There is also excellent value in this one as the traders have heavy backed Yan.

Magomed Ankalaev vs. Klidson Abreu

This is a great fight in the 205lb division. Ankalaev is a Dagestan native, which means he's a wrestling machine brought up the hard way through fighting. His cardio is elite and his technique at the top of the wrestling game. With only one loss in his career this guy is set for big things, certainly one for the future. Watch out for his takedowns and violent ground and pound. Abreu is making his Octagon debut and fighting on 6 weeks notice. He's currently 14-2 in MMA, the most important thing to note here is that he has a win over current UFC rising star Johnny Walker who could well become UFC champion based on his recent performances. MMA maths, as we know means nothing, so I am going with Ankalaev, his wrestling base will be too powerful to ignore but also he's has a full training camp.

*All odds from Bet UK’s online betting correct at the time of writing.

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