Abus Magomedov vs Michel Pereira

This weekend, we will witness an exciting and explosive UFC Fight Night bout between Machado Garry and Carlos Prates at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri. As usual, there will be several quick cards, notably the 185 LBS bout between Abus Magomedov and Michel Pereira. Pereira’s athleticism and unpredictable game make him a fan favorite, however, I’m more inclined towards a Magomedov win due to his striking game and disciplined approach to bouts.

Fighters Info

The Strike Power

When it comes to striking power, Abus Magomedov has the advantage, having won 14 of his fights by knockout and losing only two by the same. Comparatively, Michel Pereira has won 11 of his fights by knockout, losing two also by knockout.

Magomedov possesses a solid jab and very powerful leg kicks. He often uses his striking strategically to set up his takedowns, keeping his opponents guessing and preventing them from solely focusing on defending the ground attack. We saw this in his last win over Brunno Ferreira, a fight which Ferreira started well, only to fall into Magomedov’s trap in the second and third rounds.

Take nothing away from Michel Pereira’s strike power! He throws combos of knees, spinning attacks and powerful punches. While this technique can be highly effective, it also can be of high-risk, potentially leaving him off-balance or out of position. We saw this in his last fight which he lost against Anthony Hernandez. In that fight, he put up a very solid first round performance but was later caught off guard by Hernandez after he failed to capitalize on a submission attempt.

Grappling Battle

Both fighters have solid wrestling and grappling abilities. Seven (26%) of Abus Magomedov’s 27 wins were by submission, while eight (27%) of Michel Pereira’s 31 wins were by submission.

Magomedov demonstrates excellent takedown ability and often utilizes well-timed shots and clinch to bring fights to the ground. And just when the fight hits the canvas, his control is exceptional. We’ve seen him utilize his grappling to neutralize opponents’ strengths and dictate the pace of fights. On the other hand, while it is true that Pereira possesses moments of brilliance on the ground, he has shown vulnerabilities against high-level grapplers like Anthony Hernandez, who suffered a costly defeat that ended his four-win streak.

Current Streak

Abus Magomedov is having a good run of 2 consecutive wins while the “Demolidor” is on a 1-loss streak and looking forward to bouncing back come April 27th, but it won’t be an easy ride for him against a well-prepared Magomedov.

The Prediction

This bout will certainly be a closely-fought battle, and the fighter who makes the least mistakes stands a greater chance of winning, because in such fights between opponents of similar profile, the least mistake can be very costly. I’m backing Magomedov here at an odd of 2.2, and you can see below some further stats that give him an edge.

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