MMA Preview – Tom Aspinall vs Sergey Spivak at UFC Vegas 36
TOM ASPINALL VS SERGEY SPIVAK FACTS
When is UFC Vegas 36? Saturday 4th September, 2021 -19:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Vegas 36? UFC APEX, Enterprise, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC Vegas 36? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC events
What channel is UFC Vegas 36 on? BT Sport 2
Where can I stream UFC Vegas 36? 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!
TOM ASPINALL VS SERGEY SPIVAK LOWDOWN
Tom Aspinall (10-2) officially stepped up into prospect status in February by submitting the legend Andrei Arlovski. That made it six in a row for the big Brit with three perfect outings in the UFC. The only blemish on the record since 2015 is a disqualification for a downward elbow. He bagged three knockouts after that and then finally accepted an offer from the UFC. He started his account with his seventh and eighth knockout over Jake Collier and Alan Baudot and then got handed a more even match-up in the form of the veteran Arlovski. Now the stage is set to announce himself as a new heavyweight contender.
Sergei Pavlovich was the man to meet him on stage, but visa issues has given another Sergey the chance to co-headline UFC Fight Night 191. Sergey Spivak (13-2) is enjoying his best form after a shaky UFC start. He was welcomed by an assault from Walt Harris suffering the first loss and knockout of his career. He bounced back with a quality submission over Tai Tuivasa but lost again dropping a unanimous decision to Marcin Tybura. However, he has found his feet with excellent wins - a majority decision over Carlos Felipe, a TKO over Jared Vanderaa and a unanimous decision over Alexey Oleynik.
TOM ASPINALL VS SERGEY SPIVAK PREDICTION
Aspinall has been calling out Spivak for a while and it has unexpectedly fallen into place. Hs seems to have it all as a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and powerhouse with the speed of a light heavyweight. However, he is extremely level-headed about his ability and is well-aware of how young he is in his career.
He has been planning to fight Spivak for a while and knows he has the skill set to beat him although his approach may have changed after the Moldovan’s recent fights. He secured 12 takedowns in his fights with Tuivasa, Felipe, Vanderaa and against Oleynik, he showcased his stand-up.
However, it is hard to see how he gets past Aspinall. The Brit has good takedown defence, high-level jiu-jitsu and is a level above on the feet. His speed and power in particular swing this in his favour. If he can shrug off the majority of takedown attempts, he has the speed and movement to overwhelm Spivak on the feet.
Spivak will make this competitive, but Aspinall has the ability to get the dub via knockout, submission or earn a more patient decision. Spivak can sap enough energy through takedown attempts and drag the fight to the bell, but we expect Aspinall to eventually pierce Spivak’s guard with his lightening hands to earn his sixth career knockout.
Prediction: Aspinall via KO/TKO - CLICK HERE FOR PARIMATCH'S WELCOME OFFER (BET £5, GET £30 IN BONUSES!)
