Pavlovich vs. Blaydes probably didn’t get many fans marking their calendars when it was announced. In saying that, this Saturday night’s UFC Fight Night is actually shaping up to be a fantastic event headlined by a surprisingly even, competitive contest between heavyweights Sergei Pavlovich and Curtis Blaydes.
Both men are in contention for a title fight and will want to remain top of the pecking order as the tenure of Jon Jones is unknown in this division. With plenty of knockouts for each man, this should be a fantastic fight as neither man will want to give an inch. We break down the best bets to make on this clash with odds from bookmaker William Hill.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: April 21st, 7:30 A.M. (GMT)
Bookmaker William Hill has this fight close with Curtis Blaydes a slight favourite. The American pays 1.57 for a win, while his Russian opponent Sergei Pavlovich is at 2.37 to win this match outright. Method of victory odds say that this fight will most likely end with Blaydes winning by knockout with that result paying a low 1.91. Next best odds are for Pavlovich to win by knockout at 2.62. Neither man is likely to win on points or submission with those odds paying between 8.00 and 26.00.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: April 21st, 7:30 A.M. (GMT)
We say there’s a fantastic opportunity to bet against the bookies here and go for Sergei Pavlovich winning this one in the first round. This outcome pays 4.00 and there’s a strong argument to be made for it happening. The big Russian is on a five fight winning streak—and not just wins or even knockouts, but five first round knockouts in a row in fact. Bottom line is, what’s worked for Pavlovich since he lost his UFC debut to Alistair Overeem is coming out of the blocks swinging and not stopping until his opponent is unconscious.
Chances are Pavlovich will do the same on Saturday night and it will work.
While Pavlovich may have the kind of power to knockout Derrick Lewis and Tai Tuivasa, Curtis Blaydes won’t be too concerned. The American has his own devastating power, which he unveiled when knocking out Chris Daukaus in the opening minute of the second round this time last year. The 17-3-0 heavyweight will be looking to do the same again here and move from being a title fight gatekeeper to the main event himself.
Those who can’t decide between Blaydes or Pavlovich will want to look at the fight finishing early odds. They aren’t nearly as lucrative as betting on Pavlovich in the first round, but are much more secure. It’s hard to see this one going the distance and with odds of 1.22 for an early finish, there’s still coin to be made.
