Two fighters on Dana White's Contender Series - Season 4: Week 5 clash in the Octagon in the prelims of UFC Fight Night 224. American Tucker Lutz and Melsik Baghdasaryan come into this match off the back of recent losses, undermining their previous positive runs. Both fighters will be eager to return to winning ways, something not alien to them, although an urgent situation in the case of Lutz, who is on a two-fight skid. UFC Fight Night takes place at the Apex in Las Vegas on the weekend of 16th July. Interestingly Tucker Lutz goes by the moniker "Top Gun" with Melsik Baghdasaryan answering to "The Gun".
MMA: UFC Featherweight
Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas
Where to watch: ESPN/ESPN+
Date: 16.07.2023. 04.30
Tucker Lutz
28-year-old from Baltimore, Maryland, is worried about his recent UFC Career after posting a second consecutive loss last March to bring his record in the promotion to 1-3. But "Top Gun" has been offered a lifeline with a quick turnaround against a relative newcomer like him. Before the back-to-back losses, Lutz was on a twelve-fight winning run stretching across Shogun FC, DWCS, and his UFC debut and going back to 2016. Going down in two consecutive fights is new territory for the featherweight, who had only lost once before debuting in the UFC.
Tale of the Tape
- Age: 28
- Height: 5' 8"
- Reach: 72"
- Record: 12-3
I was feeling good in that fight, but he clipped me in the first round — and I wasn't stung too bad — and I go to the stool going into the second, and I was just so worried about being down a round that I came in and sloppily rushed the wrestling, didn't set it up at all.
Melsik Baghdasaryan
The 31-year-old Armenian is a mixed martial artist, kickboxer and boxer. After a previous stint in 2014, he returned to MMA in 2019, scoring a four-fight knockout winning streak that lasted 62 seconds. He debuted in the UFC in 2021, winning his first fight in the promotion against Bruno Souza. "The Gun" had his seven-fight winning streak ended by Joshua Culibao last February, with the Aussie ending their bout with a rear-naked choke in Perth at UFC 284.
Tale of the Tape
- Age: 28
- Height: 5' 8"
- Reach: 70"
- Record: 7-2
I think all my UFC fights were 11 or 12 weeks' notice, and if I get a name and a date, I'm not one to be able to structure myself wisely. Idle hands are the devil's workshop, so I'm going all out.
Betting Odds
Melsik Baghdasaryan is the favorite of the bookies, with Bet365 pricing a win for the Armenian at 1.57 odds. The bookie has the underdog to win at 2.50. Under 1.5 is available at 2.32 on MarathonBet, with the Over is priced at 1.51 odds. Yes, that round three will start is priced at 1.6 on 1XBET with the No available at 2.25 odds.
