Brian Kelleher knocks out Hunter Azure

Update: Brian Kelleher knocked out Hunter Azure at 3:40 of the second round. Kellerher was a +150 underdog on the money line.

Rising star Hunter Azure looks to build on his undefeated record facing Brian “Boom” Kelleher at UFC Fight Night in Jacksonville this evening. This is a preliminary featherweight bout that will be available on ESPN+.

Azure is undefeated in MMA at 8-0, and was originally scheduled to face Umar Nurmagomedov in April before the coronavirus pandemic. The 28-year-old defeated Brad Katona by unanimous decision last time out, and the future looks bright for a prospect who looks to crack the Top 15 rankings with a victory.

He’ll face a stiff test in Kelleher, who stands in at his usual fighting weight of 145 lbs. for this bout. He’s 4-3 in the UFC, and 20-10 overall.

Azure has been bet up by the wagerers, moving from -182 to -190, and receiving an almost equal percentage of handle and tickets written. The youngster’s fights do tend to go the distance, so bettors might find a smidge more value on betting him to win by decision at +100 instead of including submissions and knockouts as well at -190.

Here are the betting splits at DraftKings Sportsbook for Hunter Azure vs. Brian Kelleher at UFC Jacksonville on May 13th.

Money line movement, betting handle

Hunter Azure: -182 to -190 (79% handle, 83% bets)
Brian Kelleher: +145 to +150 (21% handle, 17% bets)

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