An exciting top 15 Flyweight bout is the second bout on this card. No. 8 Asu Almabayev is fighting No. 13 Ramazan Temirov in a three-round 125-pound contest. Ochoa is 1-1 in the UFC and is coming off a KO/TKO win over Cody Durden. The opposite is true for Almabayev, who Manel Kape knocked out in March.
Here is my best bet for Almabayev vs. Ochoa at UFC Abu Dhabi.
Asu Almabayev Moneyline (-118)
Although he is coming off a brutal loss, it was his first defeat in eight years, as he was previously on a 17-fight win streak. Ochoa, 24, is a talented prospect from the legendary Chute Boxe in Brazil, but is facing the most formidable opponent of his young career.
When Almabayev is at his best, he is most effective when utilizing his entire skill set. He is a good striker but also very talented on the ground. Almabayev averages 4.13 takedowns per 15 minutes and lands takedowns at a 42 percent rate. Pairing that with 2.32 significant strikes at a 54 percent rate on the feet, it makes him hard for opponents to beat.
Ochoa possesses a ton of power on the feet, similar to Kape, but hasn’t faced a high-level fighter like Almabayev yet. Getting Almabayev at -118 on DraftKings Sportsbook is a good value play, considering the experience edge Almabayev has.
