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Number 10 Featherweight MMA fighter Dan “50K” Ige will take on former M-1 Global Bantamweight champion Movsar Evloev in the featherweight division on UFC Fight Night. The fight is slated to take place at UFC APEX in Las Vegas on Saturday, June 4 at 1 PM ET (10 AM PT). Check out the best bookmakers for betting on UFC 207!
Ige is ranked No. 10 in the featherweight rankings, but he has lost consecutive fights to Josh Emmett and the “Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung.
Ige won six straight fights between 2018 and 2020, but went 1-3 in his last four fights, losing to fighters like Emmett, Sung Jung, and Calvin Kattar. Ige combines his impressive wrestling and grappling credentials with crisp hands and aggressive boxing in the pocket as a well-rounded fighter.
In June of last year, Evloev ranked among the featherweights after beating Hakeem Dawodu in a unanimous decision. In MMA, he now boasts a flawless 15-0 record, including five consecutive victories inside the octagon.
Evloev focuses on pressure, takedowns, and grappling in his game. Over the last few years, his stand-up has progressed substantially, taking part in striking exchanges with wrestling specialists such as Nik Lentz and Mike Grundy.
To prepare for his bout with the undefeated Evloev, Ige headed to a Rocky-style training camp in the Colorado mountains. This weekend, he will return to the UFC Octagon for UFC Vegas 56, feeling more prepared than ever. While he has lost his last two fights, he is determined to step up his training to get back on top.
“I’m sure there’s not a whole lot of guys out there, especially in the top 10, top 15 that wants to fight an undefeated Russian, that’s just coming up the rankings that not a lot of people know. But I’m that guy. And I want to, I want to, I find some type of pleasure to give a guy’s first loss,” said Ige.
“So you know, that’s, that’s what I look at. And all this, you know, when they offered me that that opponent, and I’m usually not wanting to turn down a fight, I don’t think I’ve ever turned down a fight, actually. So here I am a few days away and get to do this thing, again.”
Evloev, currently ranked 13th at featherweight, will take one step closer to the title by defeating Ige. M-1 championship saw him knock down seven of his 10 opponents. His confidence isn’t affected by the fact that he hasn’t stopped a fighter since joining the UFC.
“He’s good, but I think I’m better,” Evloev said. “And I will prove it this fight and finish this guy.”
Since stepping into the Octagon in 2019, Evloev has recorded five victories, with Nik Lentz and Hakeem Dawodu his two most notable victories at UFC 257 and UFC 263, respectively. Despite his perfect record, Evloev does not take too much pride in his undefeated record. Check out our top new sportsbooks for betting on UFC!
“This is a good opportunity with an opponent with a good name,” Evloev said. “I am very confident for this fight. My plan is to finish this guy in the first round. I need to prove to everyone that I am a real contender for a title fight.”
Ige via KO/TKO: +1,100
Ige via Points: +600
Ige via Submission: +2,100
Evloev via KO/TKO: +600
Evloev via Points: -175
Evloev via Submission: +900
Draw: +5,000
Prediction: Evloev (by moneyline -380 @ DraftKings)
Best bet: Evloev (by decision -175 @ FanDuel)
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