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Two featherweight rookies making their debut open the card for UFC 252 on Saturday night as Kai Kamaka takes on Tony Kelley live from Las Vegas and the UFC Apex center.
Kamaka is 7-2 as an MMA fighter, but only has one career finish, a submission in 2014. He’s won his last five fights, competing in King of The Cage, Bellator, and the Legacy Fighting Alliance. The 25-year-old defeated Michael Stack via unanimous decision just 14 days ago, and will be on a very quick turnaround in Las Vegas, the “Ninth Island” of his native Hawai’i.
From Shreveport, Louisiana, Kelley is 5-1 as an MMA fighter with four stoppages, three by submission. Half of his fights have been in the Legacy Fighting Championship, with his last bout a first-round guillotine choke victory over Andy Brossett in the American Kombat Association on May 17th. The 33-year-old at 5’9 has a two-inch height advantage on his opponent.
Picks
The late addition of the fight and low status on the card means there is limited betting action on it. Here’s a look at some picks made on the fight.
Cageside Press: Kamaka, but Kelley has some value
Pickswise: Fight goes the distance
Tapology: Kamaka picked 85 percent of the time