The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is set to travel to Baku, Azerbaijan on Saturday for a Fight Night event that features a highly anticipated light heavyweight clash between Jamahal Hill and Khalil Rountree Jr.
Hill, the former champion and ESPN’s No. 5-ranked light heavyweight, looks to bounce back from two consecutive knockout losses in his last two Octagon appearances. Rountree, ranked just behind Hill, lost to Alex Pereira in a challenge for the championship this past October.
Former UFC fighters Din Thomas and Anthony Smith shared their predictions on the main event, with both experts favoring Hill’s ability to counter Rountree’s technically sound striking style. Thomas stated that Hill needs a fight like this to turn his luck around, while Smith noted that Rountree gave the absolute best possible version of himself against Pereira.
ESPN betting expert Ian Parker predicts a victory for Rountree at -110 odds, citing his ability to hang with Pereira and prove he belongs near the top of the division. Parker also highlights Hill’s struggles in recent fights and believes Rountree’s speed and power give him an edge over the former champion.
In other fights on the card, Parker recommends Rafael Fiziev to win against Ignacio Bahamondes at -130 odds, citing Bahamondes’ ability to match Fiziev on the feet. He also predicts a victory for Curtis Blaydes over Rizvan Kuniev at -250 odds, noting that Blaydes has fought the best in the UFC for nearly seven years.
The co-main event between Tofiq Musayev and Myktybek Orolbai has “fight of the night” potential, with Parker predicting the fight to go over 1.5 rounds due to Orolbai’s durability and wrestling skills.
Source: https://www.espn.com/mma/story/_/id/45539722/expert-picks-best-bets-ufc-fight-night-azerbaijan-hamahal-hill-khalil-rountree-pfl-semifinals