MMA Preview – Misha Cirkunov vs Krzysztof Jotko at UFC Vegas 38
MISHA CIRKUNOV VS KRZYSZTOF JOTKO FACTS
When is UFC Vegas 38? Saturday 2nd October, 2021 -21:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Vegas 38? UFC APEX, Enterprise, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC Vegas 38? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC events
What channel is UFC Vegas 38 on? BT Sport 3
Where can I stream UFC Vegas 38? 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!
MISHA CIRKUNOV VS KRZYSZTOF JOTKO LOWDOWN
Misha Cirkunov (15-6) returns for his second appearance of the year and it would be great to see a third as the last time he fought three times in 12 months was back in 2016. That was a perfect year for Cirkunov coming off his successful UFC debut and submitting Alex Nicholson, Ion Cutelaba and Nikita Krylov. However, then the top tier of the division began to test his chin. He got knocked out by Volkan Oezdemir and Glover Teixeira in 2017, fought once the following year cinching up another submission, this time on Pat Cummins. He got knocked out for a third time in 2019 which was a spectacular knockout courtesy of Johnny Walker who headlines this card. Responded again with another submission but then suffered his fourth knockout back in March getting clapped by Ryan Spann.
After Krzysztof Jotko’s (22-5) seventh UFC fight, he was sitting on a 19-1 record with his eyes firmly fixed on the top 10. He had just knocked out Tamdan McCrory and outpointed Thales Leites but crashed back down to earth losing a split decision to David Branch and getting TKO’d by Uriah Hall and Brad Tavares. Unchartered territory for the Pole, but he showed a lot of character bouncing back with decisions over Alen Amedovski, Marc-Andre Barriault and Eryk Anders. He returned after a year out in May losing a unanimous decision, but it was to Sean Strickland who has just blazed his own path into the top 10.
MISHA CIRKUNOV VS KRZYSZTOF JOTKO PREDICTION
It seems every Cirkunov fight is a submission win or a knockout loss these days, but this is down at middleweight and Jotko does not have the striking power of the bigger boys up at 205 lbs.
It will be very interesting to see how the Latvian looks at 185 lbs as it is a big cut. He does not have to worry about getting smoked by one punch unless he is completely dehydrated. He has a similar height and reach to Jotko, but he will be a lot bigger and more powerful on the night.
Jotko is a solid grappler and brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, but if Cirkunov gets his hands on him, it will be a quick night. Cirkunov has the power and technique to control Jotko on the ground and wrap up a submission.
Jotko needs to keep the fight standing and find that damaged chin. If Cirkunov is too depleted it can happen, but we expect another grappling masterclass and considering he is the underdog, he is well worth a punt.
Prediction: Cirkunov via Submission - CLICK HERE FOR PARIMATCH'S WELCOME OFFER (BET £5, GET £30 IN BONUSES!)
Value Bet: Cirkunov via Submission
