Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady vs. Loik Radzhabov prediction, odds, pick for UFC Vegas 87
UFC Vegas 87 kicks off with a fight between Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady and Loik Radzhabov. Check out our UFC odds series for our Al-Selwady-Radzhabov prediction.
UFC Vegas 87: Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. Shamil Gaziev kicks off the prelims with a fight between Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady and Loik Radzhabov in the lightweight division. Al-Selwady secured his contract in his last fight on the Contender Series and has won five straight as he comes into his UFC debut meanwhile, Radzhabov took his first loss in his UFC career his last time out. With that said, check out our UFC odds series for our Al-Selwady-Radzhabov prediction and pick.
Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady (15-3) got his chance to make a good first impression on the Contender Series when he beat the UK's best lightweight prospect and Cage Warriors lightweight champion George Hardwick. He was able to secure his contract and now will be making his UFC debut on the heels of five consecutive victories when he takes on his stiffest competition to date Loik Radzhabov at UFC Vegas 87.
Loik Radzhabov (17-5-1) was a longtime veteran of the PFL until he lost a razor-close decision to Raush Manfio for the PFL Championship in 2021. Since that loss he has gone 2-1 splitting his two fights in the UFC, most recently losing to Mateusz Gamrot by knockout. He will be looking to get back on track when he welcomes promotional newcomer Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady to the UFC.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of BetOnline.
UFC Vegas 87 Odds: Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady-Loik Radzhabov Odds
Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady: -178
Loik Radzhabov: +153
Over 2.5 rounds: -160
Under 2.5 rounds: +130
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Why Abdul-Kareem Al-SelwadyWill Win
Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady took a four-fight winning streak and a Fury FC Lightweight Championship into his appearance on the Contender Series. He came in as a big underdog overcoming the betting odds to outstrike one of the top lightweight prospects outside of the UFC with relative ease. Al-Selwady now gets to show that he is going to be a force to be reckoned with in the lightweight division when he makes his promotional debut against Loik Radzhabov this weekend at UFC Vegas 87.
Al-Selwady is a very well-rounded fighter who can utilize all of his set of skills to get himself a victory in his UFC debut. In his previous fights, he has shown the grappling chops to keep fights on the feet and the striking with lateral movement on the feet to keep away from the power shots of his opponents. His best bet is to keep this fight on his feet where he should have a considerable speed advantage. If Al-Selwady can keep this fight at distance he should replicate what he did against Hardwick and that is to stay on outside, hit the calf kicks, and just outstrike Radzhabov to a decision victory.
Why Loik RadzhabovWill Win
Loik Radzhabov spent a lot of his time as a mainstay in the PFL's lightweight division. He fought to a 4-4-1 record with the promotion even competing for the PFL Championship which he ultimately lost in 2021. Radzhabov is now 1-1 in the UFC most recently coming off a knockout loss to top lightweight prospect Mateusz Rebecki in his last fight. Now, he will be looking to get back on track when he welcomes newcomer Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady to the UFC.
“The Tajik Tank” lives by his nickname as he is built like a tank and utilizes that size to his advantage in his fights. He puts a relentless wrestling pace that is hard to match which is certainly what he will be attempting to do against Al-Selwady this weekend. With how Al-Selwady has yet to have to deal with relentless wrestling from a high-level wrestler as Radzhabov it could be a tough night at the office for him giving Radzhabov the chance to score the upset.
Final Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady-Loik RadzhabovPrediction & Pick
While Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady is a very well-rounded fighter, he will want to keep this fight on his feet and out of the grasp of Radzhabov. We've seen him have the upper hand on the feet against a very good striker in his fight on the Contender Series and the way that Radzhabov was knocked out as recently as his last fight makes this his best path to victory in his UFC debut.
However, Radzhabov has fought elite strikers during his time as a 23-fight professional fighter and what Al-Selwady brings to the table isn't something that he hasn't seen before. It's going to come down to whether or not Radzhabov can deal with the speed and calf kicks of Al-Selwady and take him to the mat which is where he should have the upper hand. Ultimately, expect Al-Selwady to come out fast utilizing his speed and later movement to keep off the cage but the relentless forward pressure of Radzhabov will be deemed too much as he's able to take Al-Selwady down and control for a good portion of this fight to get the nod on the judge's scorecards.
Final Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady-Loik Radzhabov Prediction & Pick: Loik Radzhabov (+153), Over 2.5 Rounds (-160)
