The best sportsbooks for US players favor Volkan Oezdemir over Jiří Procházka at UFC 251 on July 12, 2020, at the UFC Fight Island facility on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Prochazka is on an 11-fight winning streak dating back to 2015. The 27-year old signed with the UFC last year after his RIZIN contract expired. He left the Japan-based promotion as their light heavyweight champion.
Prochazka last fought on New Years’ Eve 2019. He recorded his 23rd career knockout against C.B. Dollaway. Oezdemir will enter the bout on a two-fight winning streak. He has earned consecutive wins over Ilir Latifi and Aleksandar Rakic. The Swiss burst onto the UFC in 2017. He quickly strung together three wins on his way to an unsuccessful title match against Daniel Cormier.
Volkan Oezdemir vs. Jiří Procházka Money Line Betting
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Jiri Prochazka | +140 |
| Volkan Oezdemir | -170 |
Betting Jiri Prochazka Analysis
This is the underdog according to the best online sportsbooks. Prochazka enters with a 26-3-1 record. He has won 88% of his fights by knockout. Prochazka has won his last 10 straight fights. He is coming off a December win over C.B. Dollaway. Prochazka hasn’t lost a fight since December of 2018. He has a streak of eight knockout victories in a row. This will be Prochazka’s promotional debut. He comes over from the Rizin Fighting Federation in Japan.
Prochazka is a tall drink of water at 6’4”. He has power in his hands and an aggressive style. He stands in the pocket and throws shit at the wall just to see what sticks. Prochazka always looks busy in the octagon. He will throw in a flying knee every now and then. Prochazka has an adequate takedown defense. He has an effective ground and pound if it goes to the floor. Prochazka has shown toughness. He has been dropped before and quickly gets back up and keeps fighting like it ain’t no thang.
Betting Volkan Oezdemir Analysis
No Time is the favorite per the best sportsbooks for US players. Oezdemir enters with a 17-4 record. He has won 71% of his fights by knockout. Oezdemir has split his last six. He is coming off a December win over Aleksandar Rakic. Oezdemir averages 4.88 significant strikes per minute with an accuracy of 45%. He is averaging 0.57 takedowns with an accuracy of 22%. Oezdemir is coming off a close split decision. His opponent was a more accurate striker, but he landed a total of 118 strikes. Oezdemir has now seen two of his last three fights end in split decisions. He looks for three consecutive victories for the first time since 2017.
Oezdemir is a power striker with a clear knockout punch and deep kickboxing background. He has a history of working quickly. 11 of his last 14 victories have been decided in the first round. Oezdemir is a standup striker with his kickboxing background. He also defends takedowns at a good level. Oezdemir has an underappreciated ground and pound. He is tough considering most of his fights are standup slobber knockers where he’s also taken some strong blows from his opponent. He has only been knocked out once. This will be Oezdemir’s first career fight in Abu Dhabi.
Volkan Oezdemir vs. Jiri Prochazka at UFC 251 Pick
Oezdemir is the favorite the best sportsbooks for US players because he has more experience against better competition. He has found his form over the last year. Having said that, Prochazka is a quality fighter. He has been hyped up in hopes of crossing over to the UFC. He has a style and work rate that are difficult to match. Prochazka is going to exchange haymakers and doesn’t need much to turn the fight in his favor. He is a knockout artist with plus money.
