MMA Preview – Makwan Amirkhani vs Kamuela Kirk at UFC Vegas 28
MAKWAN AMIRKHANI VS KAMUELA KIRK FACTS
When is UFC Vegas 28? Saturday 5th June, 2021 -22:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Vegas 28? UFC APEX, Enterprise, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC Vegas 28? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC events
What channel is UFC Vegas 28 on? BT Sport 2
Where can I stream UFC Vegas 28? 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!
MAKWAN AMIRKHANI VS KAMUELA KIRK LOWDOWN
Makwan Amirkhani (16-5) is coming off his third loss inside the octagon after Edson Barboza schooled him on Fight Island on his way to a unanimous decision. He is 6-3 in the UFC now, but his losses were to beasts including Arnold Allen and Shane Burgos. He is clearly a talent though and his grappling is good enough to roll with anyone in the division as we saw when he submitted Chris Fishgold and Danny Henry and he was getting prepared to showcase those skills against Nate Lanwehr.
Unfortunately, Landwehr got injured scuppering the bout, but this has opened the door to Kamuela Kirk (11-4) to make his UFC debut. Kirk has been applying his trade for LFA and after submitting Boimah Karmo and Kevin Croom, he met Billy Quarantillo on the Contender Series but got knocked out in the third round. He then suffered another setback losing a split decision to Bruno Souza but he has bounced back superbly by knocking out Guilherme Santos and Daniel Swain this year.
MAKWAN AMIRKHANI VS KAMUELA KIRK PREDICTION
Amirkhani is understandably the favourite, but this is no gimmie fight at all. They are both phenomenal grapplers – Kirk’s bread and butter is his jiu-jitsu as a black belt and Amirkhani’s is his wrestling so it will be fascinating to see them tangle.
Amirkhani’s striking continues to improve but Kirk should have the edge on the feet. So, as the underdog, Kirk represents all the value. He is a good striker and he will be a threat in the scrambles when Amirkhani starts to wrestle.
Taking the fight on short notice is a significant disadvantage however as Amirkhani has good cardio and we expect him to trade on the feet but rely on his wrestling chaining takedowns together to wear down Kirk and seal a decision.
Prediction: Amirkhani via Decision - CLICK HERE FOR PARIMATCH'S WELCOME OFFER (BET £5, GET £30 IN BONUSES!)
Value Bet: Kirk to win
