MMA Preview – Islam Makhachev vs Bobby Green at UFC Fight Night 202
ISLAM MAKHACHEV VS BOBBY GREEN FACTS
When is UFC Fight Night 202? Saturday 26th February, 2022 - 22:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Fight Night 202? UFC APEX, Enterprise, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night 202? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC events
What channel is UFC Fight Night 202 on? BT Sport 1
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night 202? 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!
ISLAM MAKHACHEV VS BOBBY GREEN LOWDOWN
Islam Makhachev (21-1) is steamrolling his way to the lightweight title just like his close friend Khabib Nurmagomedov did. Unlike Khabib, he has a loss which was when he got knocked out by Adriano Martins (2015) but that was a valuable learning curve, and he has since strung nine impressive wins together and coming off ruthless submissions last year over Drew Dober, Thiago Moises and Dan Hooker. He was then paired up with fellow surging lightweight Beneil Dariush but, he has had to pull out with injury which is gutting.
Bobby Green (29-12-1) is one of few men crazy enough to step up on short notice to fight Makhachev. He has kept very active fighting seven times since 2020. He has gone 5-2 in that time and is arguably in the form of his life at 35 years old. After losing unanimous decisions to Moises (2020) and Rafael Fiziev (2021) he has bounced back with dominant displays – a knockout over Al Iaquinta (2021) and another unanimous decision over Nasrat Haqparast only a couple weeks ago.
ISLAM MAKHACHEV VS BOBBY GREEN PREDICTION
Makhachev goes into this as one of the biggest favourites of all time in the UFC which is surprising especially after seeing what happened between Amanda Nunes and Julianna Pena recently. Green is full of confidence, has a wealth of experience and has one clear advantage over the Russian and that is his striking.
His boxing, speed and reaction time is at a very high level, higher than Makhachev’s. Looking at the odds and considering the Russian has been put to sleep before, a punt on a knockout is a great shout. Makhachev is a very good and diverse striker with good kicks and if he tests his ego on the feet, he will be in trouble.
That said, Makhachev is desperate for that title and will not take many risks. We expect him to waste little time in sealing the takedown and it will be miserable for Green from there. The Dagestani will keep him pinned to the canvas and it will only be a matter of time before he finds another submission.
Prediction: Makhachev via Submission - CLICK HERE FOR PARIMATCH'S WELCOME OFFER (BET £5, GET £30 IN BONUSES!)
Value Bet: Green via KO/TKO
