Brace yourself for UFC Vegas 23 this Saturday April 10 as Kyle Daukaus vs Aliaskhab Khizriev take the octagon in a middleweight showdown. Khizriev is the betting favorite, as he’s undefeated in his MMA career so far, but can he beat Daukaus, who has a considerable size advantage over him? I’m rolling with Daukaus to pull off the upset.
UFC Fight Night events aren’t as glamorous as numbered events, but they showcase up-and-coming fighters who may very well end up becoming big stars someday. That’s the headline this weekend when Kyle Daukaus vs Aliaskhab Khizriev take the ring for a middleweight bout. Both of these guys are relatively new in the UFC. Daukaus has fought three times in the promotion, going 2-1, while Khizriev made his debut in Dana White’s Contender Series 4.6 back in September 2020. Daukaus last fought in September 2020 and was able to get a unanimous decision victory against Dustin Stoltzfus. The best online sports betting sites in NJ have Daukaus as the betting underdog, albeit not by a huge margin. Top MMA predictions and the best UFC betting sites are pulling for Khizriev, as the Russian warrior is undefeated in his MMA career, but there’s decent betting value if you want to roll with Daukaus. Khizriev is much smaller, standing 5’9”, while Daukaus towers over him at 6’3”. Size isn’t everything, but it’s still noteworthy in a matchup where the betting lines are close. Khizriev excels in striking accuracy, connecting 83% of the time and landing 6.0 significant strikes per minute. Daukaus is a decent striker and has the grappling skills to make this bout interesting, which is why I’m inclined to take a shot with him this weekend. Check out the NJ online sportsbook review for the best odds and markets available for this fight. If you’re looking for the best moneyline odds, you’ll find the most value at Borgata for Daukaus, where they’ve got him at +110. Khizriev’s best moneyline odds are on Fanduel, where he’s listed at -122. There’s a greater sample size for Daukaus’ statistics, which is why I think it might not be a bad idea to take a chance on him. It’s hard to say if I can envision a knockout from either fighter, but Fanduel offers markets for Daukaus to win by points at odds of +290 and win by submission at +500.
Khizriev’s ferocity will be a challenging task for Daukaus to deal with, but he’s proven that he can last the entire match. My prediction: Daukaus wins by submission in the 3rd round.
