Khabib’s cousin Umar goes toe-to-toe against Brazilian grappler Raoni Barcelos at UFC Fight Night 217 in a tasty matchup that is likely to be contested on the mat rather than on the feet. Umar Nurmagomedov is undefeated in mixed martial arts, and after three fights, he has entered the UFC Bantamweight rankings. His opponent is a former Brazilian Wrestling Champion (five times) and South American Wrestling Champion (two times). The bout takes place on the main card of UFC Fight Night 217 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday. Both fighters come into the duel in good form.
MMA: UFC Bantamweight
Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas
Where to watch: ESPN+
Date: 15.1. 2023, 6:00
Umar Nurmagomedov
The 26-year-old Russian debuted in the UFC with a second round win over Sergey Morozov in January 2021 via rear naked choke. Before joining UFC, Nurmagomedov fought in the PFL and several regional promotions in Russia. In his last fight in June 2022, he got a decision win over Nate Maness to make it two finishes out of three fights in the promotion. Nurmagomedov comes from a stock of exceptional mixed martial artists, including his cousin Khabib Nurmagomedov and his brother, current Bellator MMA lightweight champion, Usman Nurmagomedov. He is one of only four active UFC bantamweights with an undefeated record.
Tale of the Tape
- Age: 26
- Height: 5’ 8”
- Weight: 135 Ib
- Reach: 69”
- Record: 15-0-0
Raoni Barcelos
He was a five-time Brazilian national wrestling champion and a three-time Resurrection Fighting Alliance featherweight champion in MMA. Barcelos had a stellar amateur career as a wrestler before transitioning to MMA. He debuted in the UFC in 2018 with a knockout of Kurt Holobaugh in a bout that was adjudged Fight of the Night. He is 6-2 in the promotion, including a win over Said Nurmagomedov. However, he is 1-2 in his last three fights, losing to Timor Valiev and Victor Henry in June 2021 and January 2022, respectively. He rebounded in October 2022 with a win over Trevin Jones in his last fight. His last five fights have gone the distance.
Tale of the Tape
- Age: 35
- Height: 5’ 7”
- Weight: 135 Ib
- Reach: 67”
- Record: 17-3-0
Betting Odds
Nurmagomedov is a massive contest favorite, so there is no value in betting on him. On the other hand, value is likely to be gotten in the fight outcome. Bet365 prices Nurmagomedov to win by KO, TKO, or Submission at 3.20 odds. The same option is available at 3.2 odds on 1xbet. With Barcelos’ recent record of going the distance in his last five fights, that option fetches 1.445 odds on 1xbet with a similar value on Bet 365. Betway prices under 2.5 rounds at 2.62 odds. No value on the 2-way for Nurmagomedov, but the hardy folks can take a risk on Barcelos to win: 5.20 odds on Betway, 6.00 odds on Bet365, and 5.65 odds on 1xbet.
