Ion Cutelaba vs. Ivan Erslan: Preview, Where to Watch and Betting Odds

With one win in four, Ion Cutelaba of Moldova welcomes Ivan Erslan of Croatia to the UFC. The pair will conclude the preliminary card action at UFC Paris this weekend in a light heavyweight clash which is expected to be action packed. Ion Cutelaba’s bouts have been bangers that rarely go the distance while Ivan Erslan packs a punch and has won ten of his fourteen victories via KO/TKO. Cutelaba is a moderate favorite with bookmakers listing the fight as near even.

MMA: UFC Heavyweight

Where to Watch: ESPN+

Venue: Accor Arena, Paris, France

Date: 28.09.2024 21:20

A 2016 UFC debutant, Ion Cutelaba lost by unanimous decision to Philipe Lins in their UFC 299 fight last March. The loss came just under one year after his previous appearance in April 2023 where a TKO of Tanner Bosser halted Cutelaba’s three-fight skid. Competing at heavyweight and lightweight divisions in the UFC, “The Hulk” has won only six of his sixteen fights in the promotion. However, the 30-year-old has fought some of the notable names in the promotion, including Ryan Spann, Johnny Walker, Magomed Ankalaev, Glover Teixeira, and contender Khalid Rountree Jr. Born in Chisinau, Ion Cutelaba previously represented Moldova at the 2012 European Sambo championships.

• Age: 30
• Height: 6’1”
• Reach: 75”
• Weight: 205lbs (93kg)
• Record: 17-10-2 (1 Draw, 1 NC)

Croat Ivan Erslan debuts in the UFC on the back of a 2-1 record in his last three - all of which have ended inside the distance. In his last fight, Erslan delivered a devastating knockout to Lukasz Bosacki to win the KSW Epic Knockout of the Night award. The 32-year-old’s performance in the European regional scene has drawn the attention of the UFC matchmakers who have handed him a berth in the promotion. Affiliated with the American Top Team Zagreb, Ivan Erslan is Croatia’s number one professional light heavyweight and number two in the country’s pound-for-pound listings.

• Age: 32
• Height: 6’3’’
• Reach: 74.8”
• Weight: 205lbs (91kg)
• Record: 14-3-1 (NC)

Ion Cutelaba is a 1.76 favorite on Betway which lists the underdog at 1.88 odds. Total over 1.5 is priced at 2.15 odds on 1XBET with under 1.5 available at 1.65. A KO/TKO for Ivan Erslan is 2.60 on Bet365 while a KO/TKO for Cutelaba is priced at 2.37 odds. Read more here.