This weekend the UFC is back with UFC Vegas 24, with a heavyweight bout of Andrei Arlovski vs Chase Sherman on deck. Sherman is looking to start a winning streak, but he’s opened as the betting underdog for this match. Arlovski is a former UFC champion who’s stepped in last minute, but at age 42, victory might be harder to attain, so I’m all in on Sherman.
The UFC is back this weekend with UFC Vegas 24, and we’ve got a couple of good fight matchups on the main card, including a heavyweight showdown between Andrei Arlovski vs Chase Sherman. Arlovski, a former UFC heavyweight champion, has stepped up last-minute to replace Sherman’s original opponent, Parker Porter. Arlovski has seen better days, as the 42-year-old Belarusian has been a bit shaky recently, losing his last match to Tom Aspinall via submission. Still, UFC betting sites in NJ favor the veteran to win out against Sherman, who will be looking to start a winning streak. Arlovski had a strong 2020 going 2-0 in his matchups, and proved that he’s still capable of winning in his division. MMA predictions argue that he has an excellent chance to beat Sherman, but how likely is that considering Sherman’s superb striking abilities and the fact that he’s on an impressive winning streak. Sherman’s got momentum swinging in his favor going into this bout, but NJ online sports betting sites still favor the veteran. I think Andrei Arlovski’s a great fighter, and he’s capable of taking out Sherman this weekend, but for the betting value, I’m more inclined to take a shot with Sherman. The NJ online sportsbook reviews summarize the best odds for this match, but Sherman’s best money line odds are on Fanduel, where he’s listed at +132. You’ll find Arlovski’s best odds over at Borgata, where they’ve got him at -130. Arlovski’s got better grappling skills, and I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if he somehow manages a victory, but Sherman’s striking is superior. Sherman has the takedown defense necessary to keep Arlovski at bay if he wants to go that route, so I think that he’ll end up ending this fight via KO/TKO.
It’s a tough pick, but I’m banking on Sherman to finish Arlovski with a KO/TKO. I believe that Arlovski will seek the perfect opportunity to take down Sherman, but ultimately Sherman will drop him before that happens. My prediction: Sherman wins by KO/TKO in the 1st round.