Two middleweights, Mansur Abdul-Malik vs. Yousri Belgaroui, go toe to toe at tonight’s UFC Fight Night. Abdul-Malik is 9-0-1 with nine finishes, as Belgaroui is 9-3 with seven knockouts. Since suffering a loss in his first appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series, Belgaroui has won four bouts in a row, with three by knockout. Abdul-Malik got back in the win column against Antonio Trocoli after having a draw with Cody Brundage.
Check out my best bet below for Mansur Abdul-Malik vs. Yousri Belgaroui.
Mansur Abdul-Malik to Win by KO/TKO/DQ or Submission (+140)
Although Belgaroui is taller by four inches (6’6″ vs. 6’2″), Abdul-Malik makes up for it with a one-inch reach advantage (80″ vs. 79″). When looking at the stats, Belgaroui lands more significant strikes, but that is only because Abdul-Malik’s fights haven’t lasted long. Besides his bout with Brundage, all of Abdul-Malik’s fights have ended in the first two rounds.
In this contest, Abdul-Malik is a -142 favorite with Belgaroui being a +120 underdog on DraftKings Sportsbook. The over/under is set at 1.5 rounds with the over being -215. Abdul-Malik is +200 to score a knockout as Belgaroui is +300.
Belgaroui is currently on a good run and has been impressive, but Abdul-Malik has more upside. Abdul-Malik is the better athlete and is the more powerful striker in this matchup. In his last fight, Abdul-Malik showed he can still finish opponents on the ground, adding a new layer to his game. If Abdul-Malik can be the more aggressive fighter, pushing Belgaroui backward, he should be able to succeed. Since all nine of Abdul-Malik’s wins have come by finish, I’m taking him to win by KO/TKO/DQ or submission at +140.
