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In the second men’s middleweight bout of the main card, Khamzat Chimaev and Gerald Meerschaert will fight at UFC Vegas 11 this Saturday live at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and on ESPN+.
Chimaev is 8-0 in his MMA career all by finish, and the 26-year-old has won five times via knockout or technical knockout and the other three by submission. In two UFC bouts, Chimaev has landed an outstanding 8.88 strikes per minute with 72% accuracy while absorbing just .11 per minute. He’s also never seen the third round of a fight. Chimaev is a confident grappler as well, averaging 4.81 takedowns per 15 minutes with 75% accuracy. Though he’s yet to be ranked in the middleweight division, Chimaev will be fighting up this bout, typically entering the octagon against welterweights.
He’ll be facing the 32-year-old Meerschaert, who will have a two-inch longer reach. Meerschaert has a respected 31-13 record in his MMA career and is one of the most experienced middleweight fighters on the roster. With 23 of his victories ending with submission, he averages 2.34 takedowns per 15-minute match. He also lands a notable 3.31 significant strikes per minute. Just a few months ago, Meerschaert dropped a fight to #15 Ian Heinisch in the first round.
Betting splits
Here are the betting splits at DraftKings Sportsbook for Khamzat Chimaev vs. Gerald Meerschaert at UFC Vegas 11 on September 19th:
Khamzat Chimaev: -400 (68% of action, 79% of bets)
Gerald Meerschaert: +300 (32% of action, 21% of bets)
DraftKings DFS Salaries
Khamzat Chimaev: $9,400
Gerald Meerschaert: $6,800
Chimaev is one of the most terrifying rising stars in the UFC, and Meerschaert is exactly what you think he is. You’re locking in 100+ points here if you go with Chimaev (average 115.8 points in two UFC fights), and you’ll actually want him to not finish it too early so he can score due to his overwhelming activity. If you can find places to save salary, here’s where to spend it.
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