Tagir Ulanbekov vs Clayton Carpenter Prediction: the Russian Athelete Will Do Anything For Title Shot

UFC 311 is going to take place in the US on the night of January 19th. It will start with a fight between Russian fighter Tagir Ulanbekov and undefeated American Clayton Carpenter. 

The fight will take place in the lightest weight category, and Ulanbekov is the favorite to win. The bookmakers' quotes suggest he has the best chance. The UFC's position towards the lightest division is strange and unclear. The title bouts are already given to whoever it is, for example, number nine Erceg or even debutant Kai Asakura. We assume that if Khabib Nurmagomedov supports Ulanbekov and he wins, he will get a title shot as well.

Tagir Ulanbekov

Tagir is a member of Khabib's team and was a world champion in combat sambo. He was also a champion of professional promotions AMC Fight Nights and Gorilla FC. In the UFC, he has only suffered one defeat, currently ranked eleventh in the lightest division. Ulanbekov is known for his high-level wrestling and big ambitions. In his last bout, Tagir Ulanbekov beat Cody Darden in the second round, but he hasn't fought for a year.

Clayton Carpenter

Clayton Carpenter is not a big star yet, but he is on his way to becoming one. The American has never failed a bout in his career. He has fought twice in the UFC and won both times. He is a very versatile fighter. In the amateurs, he is the world champion in grappling and the U.S. champion in Thai boxing.

Expert Betting Tips

Tagir Ulanbekov is a strong competitor. Both Khabib and Javier Mendes have said that he is in great shape and is unlikely to make the same mistakes he made in his bout with Tim Elliott (loss on points). However, it should be noted that that defeat has motivated him, as he has mercilessly defeated his opponents in his last two fights. But Carpenter also finishes his opponents the same way, so it's likely that this bout will end quickly, as well as being a good bet.

Prediction:

W1 for 1.30

TU (2.5) for 3.00