UFC Contender Series Odds: Cameron Smotherman vs. Charalampos Grigoriou prediction
Contender Series Week 2: Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady vs. George Hardwick kicks off the card with a fight in the men's bantamweight division between Cameron Smotherman and Charalampos Grigoriou. Smotherman is coming off four straight wins meanwhile, Grigoriou is coming off three consecutive wins. With that said, check out our UFC odds series for our Smotherman-Grigoriou prediction and pick.
Cameron Smotherman (8-3) comes into his chance on the Contender Series as the Fury Fighting Championship Bantamweight Champion. He has won four straight and six of his last seven fights with four of those six wins coming by knockout. Smotherman will be looking to get the biggest win of his career when he takes on fellow bantamweight prospect
Charalampos Grigoriou (7-3) is the Combat FC promotion, Bantamweight Champion. He won the inaugural bantamweight championship via leg kicks in the fifth round. Coming into his shot on the Contender Series he has won three straight with all three wins coming by knockout. Grigoriou will look to continue his knockout streak when he takes on Cameron Smotherman to obtain his UFC contract.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
Contender Series Week 2 Odds: Cameron Smotherman-Charalampos Grigoriou Odds
Cameron Smotherman: -192
Charalampos Grigoriou: +150
How to Watch Cameron Smotherman vs. Charalampos Grigoriou
TV: ESPN+
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET/ 4:00 p.m. PT
Why Cameron Smotherman Will Win
Cameron Smotherman is the former Fury Fighting Championship Bantamweight Championship who relinquished his title for a chance to fight on the Contender Series and get his coveted UFC contract. He is a fun and exciting fighter to watch with five of his eight wins coming by knockout. Smotherman is always a fighter that is looking to end the fight with every punch and he has the power to do so, clipping the majority of his opponents on the regional scene, just as he knocked out his last two opponents coming into this matchup.
He is a fighter that loves to throw down, so much, that he is willing to keep his hands down as he marches forward to throw his heavy shots. He still is a bit green in his overall skill-set as he does get rocked at times and has been taken down and controlled as well. With that said, he still has a high ceiling and is young enough to make the necessary adjustments as he progresses into his career. If he can keep this fight from hitting the mat, Smotherman has a legitimate chance for another highlight reel knockout.
Why Charalampos Grigoriou Will Win
Charalampos Grigoriou is the former Combat FC after he finished his last opponent Chris Disonell via leg kicks in the final round. Regardless of the late-round finish, Grigoriou was well on his way to winning a dominant unanimous decision victory. Grigoriou brings a well-rounded skillset to this matchup, while he doesn't have a single submission finish on his resume, he does have decent wrestling chops to get his fight to the mat and control Smotherman for a portion of this fight.
Grigoriou does his best work on the feet where he is able to be the aggressor and push his opponent back to the cage. From there he picks his shots with straight punches and thunderous calf kicks which will play a vital role in this fight. Smotherman is very heavy on his lead leg to the point where if he doesn't avoid or check the leg kicks of Grigoriou they will pay dividends in this matchup. If Grigoriou can put the pressure on Smotherman and keep his back along the fence he has a good chance of breaking him to get a possible late-round finish.
Final Cameron Smotherman-Charalampos Grigoriou Prediction & Pick
This should be a fun scrap between these two bantamweight contenders. This should be a very closely contested fight throughout as they are both evenly matched. Neither Smotherman nor Grigoriou like to take a step back so it's going to come down to who is being the aggressor and pushing the pace on the other. Smotherman seems to be that he has more power and pop in his strikes than Grigoriou does but Grigoriou has calf kicks and wrestling to neutralize the power that he possesses. Ultimately, Grigoriou will look to come forward and put pressure on Smotherman but it will be Smotherman who will be landing the more telling shots and will eventually crack the chin when Grigoriou becomes too desperate to hunt for the takedown eventually putting him out before the final bell.
Final Cameron Smotherman-Charalampos Grigoriou Prediction & Pick: Cameron Smotherman (-192)
