MMA Preview – Alessio Di Chirico vs Abdul Razak Alhassan at UFC Vegas 35
ALESSIO DI CHIRICO VS ABDUL RAZAK ALHASSAN FACTS
When is UFC Vegas 35? Sunday 29th August, 2021 - 01:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Vegas 35? UFC APEX, Enterprise, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC Vegas 35? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC events
What channel is UFC Vegas 35 on? BT Sport 1
Where can I stream UFC Vegas 35? BT Sport subscribers can stream the fight online via the BT Sport website
For viewers in the United States, the event will be shown live on ESPN+ and you can sign up for access as part of a Disney Bundle here!
ALESSIO DI CHIRICO VS ABDUL RAZAK ALHASSAN LOWDOWN
Alessio Di Chirico (13-5) was originally scheduled to welcome Aliaskhab Khizriev to the UFC but was left without an opponent after the Russian got injured. However, Antonio Braga Neto inevitably pulled out of his fight for the second time in two weeks to save this bout. Great news for Di Chirico who is desperate to gain some more momentum. He dropped three decisions in a row to Kevin Holland, Makhmud Muradov and Zak Cummings which were baffling unanimous calls from the judges who must have been on their phones. He was then paired with the surging Joaquin Buckley and gave him a taste of his own medicine by sealing a highlight reel head kick knockout.
Abdul Razak Alhassan (10-4) was lined up for Neto and has thankfully accepted the change in opponent. When he was sitting at 10-1, it was a question of how far he could go. He had knocked out every single opponent in the first round and his only loss was a split decision to Omari Akhmedov. He controversially TKO’d Sabah Homasi and then violently erased him in the rematch followed by an obliteration of Niko Price. However, Alhassan is now on a three-fight skid losing a unanimous decision to Mounir Lazzez, getting starched by Khaos Williams and coming off another unanimous decision loss to Jacob Malkoun. Now, it is a question of whether he can still make it in the UFC.
ALESSIO DI CHIRICO VS ABDUL RAZAK ALHASSAN PREDICTION
Alhassan deserves a lot of credit for taking this fight as Di Chirico is a much tougher opponent. Neto had not fought in over three years and not won over seven. Di Chirico is a top talent, and we can ignore his recent form as some of those decision losses could have easily gone his way.
The Italian has a lot more strings to his bow and is extremely well-rounded. He is a top striker and grappler. Alhassan would have been working on his takedown defence during his training camp, but it is unlikely to be enough to avoid getting dragged down to the canvas.
Alhassan is expected to be calm but swing wildly whenever Di Chirico is in range. He has the explosiveness and power to knock him out with one hit, but Di Chirico should have too much nous and experience to get caught and is expected to wear Alhassan down with his grappling to earn a comfortable decision or even a late finish.
Di Chirico is understandably the favourite, but Alhassan’s power always makes him a live dog.
Prediction: Di Chirico via Decision - CLICK HERE FOR PARIMATCH'S WELCOME OFFER (BET £5, GET £30 IN BONUSES!)
Value Bet: Alhassan via KO/TKO
