Sean Brady vs Kelvin Gastelum Betting Preview: UFC ESPN 52
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SEAN BRADY VS KELVIN GASTELUM FACTS
When is UFC on ESPN 52? Saturday 2nd December, 2023 - 22:00 (UK)
Where is UFC on ESPN 52? Moody Center, Austin, Texas (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC on ESPN 52? Click here to buy tickets for UFC on ESPN
What channel is UFC on ESPN 52 on? TNT Sports 2
Where can I stream UFC on ESPN 52? TNT Sports subscribers can stream the fight online via the TNT Sports website and Discovery+
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!
SEAN BRADY VS KELVIN GASTELUM LOWDOWN
Sean Brady (15-1) finally tasted defeat in his last appearance at UFC 280 over a year ago. Belal Muhammad ended his run of five impressive UFC displays with a humbling TKO. Those performances included a submission over Jake Matthews and unanimous decision over Michael Chiesa in 2021 and he will hope to emulate those performances in Austin to get back in the welterweight mix.
Throwing himself back in that mix is Kelvin Gastelum (17-8(1)). There is little doubt that he could have made a run for the title if he had the discipline to make 170 lbs in his prime. Instead, he slugged it out with much larger middleweights and even gave Israel Adesanya (2019) one of his toughest fights to date. That was the first loss of five in his last seven but he is coming off a hard-fought unanimous decision win over Chris Curtis back in April.
SEAN BRADY VS KELVIN GASTELUM PREDICTION
This is where Gastelum belongs and if he makes the weight smoothly, he will be a force at 170 lbs. His last performance was a reminder of what he is capable of and it was particularly impressive to out strike Curtis after 20 months out.
Muhammad exposed some holes in Brady’s stand-up game and Gastelum’s striking will serve his biggest challenge to date. That said, Brady’s biggest challenge has been staying fit and if he is injury-free, he has the grappling and power to maul Gastelum.
Even though Gastelum is a quality grappler, this could end up looking like a striker vs grappler match-up. Gastelum has a significant advantage in the stand-up and his lightening 1-2 down the pipe will find Brady’s chin eventually.
Brady will be aware of this and will be wise to close the distance as soon as possible, get his hands around Gastelum and drag him to the deck. He will see how Weidman carved through him and although he does not have the size, he is brutishly strong and has the technique to subdue Gastelum.
Brady can go a long way in the division, but this is a bad stylistic match-up for him. Gastelum will only need to defend the first few takedown attempts to drain the gas tank and fuel his own confidence to get the job done on the feet.
Gastelum is the underdog and if he makes weight smoothly, he is the smart pick.
Prediction: Gastelum via KO/TKO
Value bet: Gastelum to win
