MMA Preview – Islam Makhachev vs Arman Tsarukyan at UFC Fight Night 149
AT A GLANCE
When is UFC Fight Night 149? Saturday 20th April, 2019 - 16:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Fight Night 149? Yubileyny Sports Palace, Saint Petersburg, Russia
What channel is UFC Fight Night 149 on? BT Sport ESPN
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night 149? BT Sport subscribers can stream the fight online via the BT Sport website
Are tickets still available for UFC Fight Night 149? http://uk.ufc.com/event-ticket-info?utm_source=ufc&utm_medium=tab&utm_campaign=tickets
THE STATISTICS
THE LOWDOWN
Islam Makhachev makes his seventh UFC appearance and is hoping to string together a fifth win in a row. After winning his UFC debut, Makhachev got knocked out by Adriano Martins but he has looked exceptional since, with decisions over Chris Wade and Nik Lentz, before knocking out Gleison Tibau and submitting Kajan Johnson.
Makhachev welcomes Arman Tsarukyan for his UFC debut who has a similar record but boasts a more impressive winning streak of 12, with nine finishes. After fighting for a variety of promotions, Tsarukyan finally gets his call up to the UFC hoping to put his name on the map, but this is an extremely tough test.
THE PREDICTION
Tsarukyan is a UFC-calibre fighter and, on paper, these guys match-up well, but this is a huge step-up in competition for Tsarukyan. He is a tremendous grappler and with powerful, technical striking he has the making of a legitimate threat in the stacked lightweight division.
However, Makhachev has the grappling and striking to match, boasting the least significant strikes absorbed per minute in UFC history (0.74). This will be a close contest but the crucial UFC experience of Makhachev should be enough to a edge a decision.
Winner: Makhachev via Decision
