UFC on ESPN 51: Luque vs. Dos Anjos Odds, Schedule, Predictions
The always-exciting Vicente Luque returns to the UFC Octagon after more than a year away to take on former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos in the main event of UFC on ESPN 51 from the UFC's Apex Facility.
Luque has never been able to climb to the top of the ladder in the welterweight division but he always puts on a show. The Brazilian has performed eight post-fight bonuses in his UFC career. He's on a two-fight skid but will be looking to regain some momentum in his return.
Dos Anjos has bounced between the lightweight and welterweight divisions throughout his UFC career. His latest venture into the 170-pound division resulted in a submission win over Bryan Barberena.
Now, he'll look to keep things rolling against a Luque who really needs a win coming off a long layoff.
Here's a look at the complete card along with previews and predictions for the featured bouts.
- Vicente Luque (-102) vs. Rafael dos Anjos (-118)
- Hakeem Dawodu (-230) vs. Cub Swanson (+190)
- Chris Daukaus (+150) vs. Khalil Rountree (-180)
- Iasmin Lucindo (-198) vs. Polyana Viana (+164)
- AJ Dobson (+120) vs. Tafon Nchukwi (-142)
- Josh Fremd (-325) vs. Jamie Pickett (+260)
- JP Buys (+275) vs. Marcus McGhee (-345)
- Mike Breeden (+220) vs. Terrence McKinney (-270)
- Isaac Dulgarian (+150) vs. Francis Marshall (-180)
- Martin Buday (-198) vs. Josh Parisian (+164)
- Jaqueline Amorim (-238) vs. Montserrat Conejo (+195)
- Da'Mon Blackshear (-290) vs. Jose Johnson (+235)
- Juliana Miller (+130) vs. Luana Santos (-155)
Main Card (ESPN/ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)
Prelims (ESPN/ESPN+, 4 p.m. ET)
This matchup is all about control. Rafael dos Anjos is at his best when he's able to control his opponents with his wrestling. Whether it's smothering them in the clinch against the cage or getting takedowns, RDA is relentless when it comes to controlling the fight.
Luque shines when he's allowed to set a frenetic pace and turn things into a bit of a slugfest.
The good news for him is that he'll have a size advantage. Dos Anjos is a natural lightweight who doesn't like to make the cut down to 155 pounds. He's only 5'8" and will be giving up thre inches to the 5'11" Luque.
At lightweight, dos Anjos can usually ragdoll his opponents, lean on them and wear them down. He can't always do that against bigger opponents and Luque certainly qualifies.
As a striker, dos Anjos is not a powerhouse. He has solid boxing and can occasionally throw a dangerous kick, but it's not his bread and butter.
Considering Luque's length advantage and the fact that RDA is 38 now, there are enough factors to believe Luque will keep it standing long enough to pick up the win.
Prediction: Luque via second-round TKO
Luque is hardly the first fighter to make a name for himself as an action fighter but hasn't fought for a title. Cub Swanson is one of the founders of that movement. The 39-year-old has been a mainstay since his days in the WEC.
Swanson has racked up nine post-fight bonuses in the UFC and even holds wins over Dustin Poirier and Charles Oliveira, but those were over 10 years ago at this point.
Swanson recently tried his hand at moving down to 135 pounds, but he suffered a second-round TKO loss to Jonathan Martinez. That has prompted his return to featherweight where he will fight Hakeem Dawodu.
Dawodu has had an up-and-down UFC career to this point. He actually lost his debut when he came over from World Series of Fighting but went on to win five fights in a row. However, that momentum was halted with losses in two of his last three fights.
This will be a good test for Dawodu. If he brings the goods as a kickboxer he should have no problem beating this version of Swanson.
Prediction: Dawodu via decision
There might not be a lot at stake in this one, but it's going to be a fun one as long as it lasts.
Khalil Rountree Jr. is an explosive knockout specialist with some great highlights. If he were more consistent, he would probably be fighting on a lot bigger stage and potentially be in the title picture.
Right now, he's working toward eliminating that inconsistency. He's won three straight fights after a 1-3 run in his previous four fights.
Now, he gets Chris Daukaus who is also out to prove something. After three consecutive losses as a heavyweight he has made the cut down to the 205-pound division in an attempt to revive his career.
He's obviously going to bring some power. Eleven of his 12 wins have come by knockout as a heavyweight so that's power that is sure to transfer in the lighter weight class.
The problem is that Rountree has a lot of power and is the more athletic of the two. If Daukaus catches him early anything could happen, but the prediction is that the fast, more athletic powerhouse will find a way to get the finish.
Prediction: Rountree via first-round TKO
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