Ion Cutelaba vs Dustin Jacoby is up this weekend as part of the main card for UFC Vegas 25. Devin Clark was initially supposed to fight Cutelaba, but he was forced to withdraw due to an injury. Jacoby has stepped in, and he’s looked good lately. He’s a slight betting underdog, but he’s a solid dark horse pick to upset his opponent this Saturday.
Ion Cutelaba’s original opponent for UFC Vegas 23 has dropped out, so Dustin Jacoby has stepped in last minute to take him on. Legal sports betting sites have Cutelaba as the betting favorite, but Jacoby looks like a strong value pick for online UFC betting. MMA predictions argue that the light heavyweight bout will be closely contested, which is a fair assessment due to Jacoby being an emergency call-up. Still, Cutelaba has dropped his last two fights to the same guy, Magomed Ankalaev, who laid him out both times in the first round. He can’t seem to beat that guy, so I don’t have a ton of confidence in the idea that he’ll take out Jacoby this Saturday. Obviously, Jacoby and Ankalaev are two distinct fighters, but Jacoby has looked excellent since he’s moved up from the Contender series and began fighting in the UFC’s Fight Night events. He’s won three in a row, and although Cutelaba might have a bit of an edge over him with regards to striking abilities, I like his odds to pull off an upset. Cutelaba’s a bit younger than Jacoby, but he’s also a bit smaller physically, which bodes well for Jacoby to use his size to his advantage. Neither fighter is exceptionally talented at grappling, but that’s one area where Cutelaba could surprise Jacoby, despite never having finished an opponent via submission before. The NJ online sportsbook review summarizes the best places and markets for the upcoming light heavyweight fight, but Jacoby’s best money line odds are on Fanduel, at +114. Cutelaba’s best odds can be found over on the Borgata sportsbook, where he’s listed at -130.
Jacoby will enter this fight without much preparation, but he’s been impressive in the UFC, while Cutelaba has been getting rocked by Magomed Ankalaev. I believe we’ll get a slugging match, with Jacoby emerging victorious after going the distance. My prediction: Jacoby wins by split decision.
