MMA Preview – Chidi Njokuani vs Albert Duraev at UFC on ESPN 43
Click here for today’s sports betting tips from our expert analysts!
CHIDI NJOKUANI VS ALBERT DURAEV FACTS
When is UFC on ESPN 43? Saturday 25th March, 2023 - 21:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC on ESPN 43? AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC on ESPN 43? Click here to buy tickets for UFC Fight Night
What channel is UFC on ESPN 43 on? BT Sport 2
Where can I stream UFC on ESPN 43? 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!
CHIDI NJOKUANI VS ALBERT DURAEV LOWDOWN
Chidi Njokuani (22-8(1)) made quite the scene upon his eventual entrance to the UFC. He got there by knocking out Mario Souza (2021) on the Contender Series and then collected three performance bonuses in his three fights last year. He flatlined Marc-Andre Barriault and Dusko Todorovic and was inflicting his usual damage on Gregory Rodrigues before the Brazilian rallied to give him a taste of his own medicine in a ‘Fight of the Night’ display.
Albert Duraev (15-4) only fought once last year and it could not have gone much worse getting knocked out by Joaquin Buckley in the second round. That was the fourth time he has been knocked out although it snapped a 10-fight win streak including a unanimous decision over Roman Kopylov (2021) on his UFC debut.
CHIDI NJOKUANI VS ALBERT DURAEV PREDICTION
Duraev’s chin will be anxious as he is taking on another dangerous striker. Njokuani possesses serious knockout power and he will also boast a five-inch reach and four-inch height advantage.
Duraev will try and close the distance by swinging hard hooks before shooting in. If he can get his hands on Njokuani, he can control him in the clinch and if he can get him on his back, the American will be in trouble.
However, there is little room for error when Duraev steps into range. Njokuani has lethal kicks and knees. He will only need to land one clean strike to turn the Russian’s lights out.
Duraev’s chin is a real worry but his fight with Buckley fight is good preparation for this and we can see him pinning Njokuani down for the majority of the bout. We can see him getting flatlined by a knee while shooting in, but we feel he may just pull off the upset with a typically grinding display shutting Njokuani down.
Prediction: Duraev via Decision - CLICK HERE FOR PARIMATCH'S WELCOME OFFER (BET £5, GET £30 IN BONUSES!)
Value bet: Duraev to win
