MMA Preview – Andrei Arlovski vs Tom Aspinall at UFC Vegas 19
ANDREI ARLOVSKI VS TOM ASPINALL FACTS
When is UFC Vegas 19? Saturday 20th February, 2021 - 23:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Vegas 19? UFC APEX, Las Vegas, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC Vegas 19? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC events
What channel is UFC Vegas 19 on? BT Sport 1
Where can I stream UFC Vegas 19? 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!
ANDREI ARLOVSKI VS TOM ASPINALL LOWDOWN
The legend Andrei Arlovski (30-19(2)) just keeps turning up after 51 fights and makes his 34th UFC walk. As you would expect with that many miles on the clock at 42 years of age, he has experienced miserable losing streaks, but he is still handing out lessons. After Augusto Sakai handed Arlovski a fourth loss in a row (including the Walt Harris split decision) he bounced back with a unanimous decision over Ben Rothwell but then got buried by Rozenstruik. Many thought that was a good time to call it, but he resurrected himself again to earn unanimous decisions over Philipe Lins and the surging Tanner Boser.
At the opposite end of his UFC career, Tom Aspinall (9-2) has started with a bang. He continued his 100% finish rate on his debut against Jake Collier although that was a complete mismatch and then followed it up with another brilliant knockout over Alan Baudot back in October on Fight Island.
ANDREI ARLOVSKI VS TOM ASPINALL PREDICTION
Arlovski is not the scary knockout artist he once was but he is still a huge step-up in competition for Aspinall. Arlovski fights a lot smarter these days happy to fight to the bell. Despite finishing all of his fights, Aspinall is also a calculated fighter and this will be the perfect test for him.
He is very well-rounded and has barely uses his black belt skills in jiu-jitsu, but it is his boxing that will be his biggest threat. Aspinall has better experience than his record suggests and has more speed, athleticism and power, but the glaring difference is their cage time.
Aspinall will not bring anything to the cage Arlovski has not seen before and will give him his toughest fight still offering power and speed. However, it is unlikely to be enough and Aspinall will enter the cage an even more polished version of himself. A knockout is likely, but do not expect either of them to hunt one. Aspinall will fight calm and get a read on Arlovski and rely on his technique to find a knockout later in the fight with a rare decision not out the question.
Prediction: Aspinall via KO/TKO - CLICK HERE FOR PARIMATCH'S WELCOME OFFER (BET £5, GET £30 IN BONUSES!)
