MMA Preview – Seung Woo Choi vs Youssef Zalal at UFC Vegas 18
SEUNG WOO CHOI VS YOUSEFF ZALAL FACTS
When is UFC Vegas 18?Saturday 6th January, 2021 – 23:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Vegas 18? UFC APEX, Las Vegas, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC Vegas 18? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC events
What channel is UFC Vegas 18 on? BT Sport 1
Where can I stream UFC Vegas 18? 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!
SEUNG WOO CHOI VS YOUSEFF ZALAL LOWDOWN
Seung Woo Choi (8-3) is just grateful he has a fight after having two dropouts. He was originally scheduled to fight Steven Peterson and then Collin Anglin, but the newcomer withdrew only a couple weeks ago. The South Korean is eager to get his UFC career off the ground after a challenging start. He was threw into the fire facing Movsar Evloev on his debut losing a decision and then got handed Gavin Tucker getting submitted in the second round. He bounced back with a decision over Suman Mokhtarian and now heads to Las Vegas for the first time in search of another win.
Youseff Zalal (10-3) is the man to step up and the pair were actually scheduled to fight back at UFC Fight Night 179. Choi dropped out that time which left the door open for Ilia Topuria to hand Zalal his first loss in five fights. Zalal had a lot of momentum at the time with three impressive unanimous decisions in his first three UFC fights and is now back at the APEX to put that unanimous decision loss behind him.
SEUNG WOO CHOI VS YOUSEFF ZALAL PREDICTION
It is good to see these guys cross paths again as this is a great match-up. Topuria exposed some holes in Zalal’s takedown defence but fortunately for him, Choi prefers to strike which should make this a thrilling battle on the feet.
Zalal is the heavy favourite but Choi is more than capable of pulling off an upset. He is a seasoned Muay Thai fighter with obvious knockout power. He is also the bigger stronger man and will have a slight height and reach advantage.
Choi is more likely to get a finish with his power, but the exchanges will be a very even contest and it could come down to who can mix up their strikes with the odd takedown. This promises to be a very exciting and competitive scrap and all the value is with Choi but Zalal is expected to edge a tight decision.
Prediction: Zalal via Decision – CLICK HERE FOR PARIMATCH'S WELCOME OFFER (BET £5, GET £30 IN BONUSES!)
