MMA Preview – Drew Dober vs Rafael Alves at UFC 277
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DREW DOBER VS RAFAEL ALVES FACTS
When is UFC 277? Sunday 30th July, 2022 - 01:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC 277? American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC 277? Click here to buy tickets for UFC 277
What channel is UFC 277 on? BT Sport 1
Where can I stream UFC 277? 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!
DREW DOBER VS RAFAEL ALVES LOWDOWN
Drew Dober (24-11(1)) became the talk of the lightweight division back in 2019 which is a feat in itself. He was coming off three blistering knockouts adding Polo Reyes (2019), Nasrat Haqparast (2020) and Alexander Hernandez (2020) to the dub sheet. However, the MMA gods wanted that streak to end as Islam Makhachev (2021) was lined up for his next fight and he sliced through him like butter wrapping him up in an arm triangle in the second round. He then fought to a very close decision with Brad Riddell (2021) but failed to convince any of the judges. He has bounced back with another knockout, but it was not easy, almost getting finished himself by Terrance McKinney before rallying back in an epic comeback.
Rafael Alves (20-10) provides another mouth-watering match-up for the veteran. The Brazilian hunts a finish in any fashion. He got the call-up from the UFC after five straight wins which included a submission over Alejandro Flores Garcia (2020) on the Contender Series. He was given a very unkind debut in the form of Damir Ismagulov (2021) who was riding a 17-fight win streak at the time. He inevitably lost a unanimous decision but responded with the biggest win of his career submitting Marc Diakiese (2021) at UFC Fight 197.
DREW DOBER VS RAFAEL ALVES PREDICTION
This should be fireworks which may or may not fill Dober with excitement after his last fight. Dober is at the top of the food chain when it comes to striking with a wealth of experience against the upper echelon. Where he has struggled is in the grappling department with just a 53% takedown defence.
Alves has the potential to expose those holes or play right into Dober’s hands slugging it out on the feet. The Brazilian hunts the finish from the bell on the feet and on the ground, but if he has any sense, he has to call upon his jiu-jitsu here.
If he can get the takedown, Dober is in trouble, but if he trades on the feet, he may find himself struggling to chip away at Dober’s granite chin while getting viciously countered. We can see the Brazilian landing a takedown in a brawl creating opportunities for a submission, but if this goes past the first round, you have to back Dober.
We are backing the UFC veteran to weather the early storm, but Alves holds all of the value as the underdog.
Prediction: Dober via KO/TKO - CLICK HERE FOR PARIMATCH'S WELCOME OFFER (BET £5, GET £30 IN BONUSES!)
Value Bet: Alves via Submission
