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ANDRE FIALHO VS JOAQUIN BUCKLEY FACTS
When is UFC Fight Night 224? Saturday May 20th March, 2023 - 22:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Fight Night 224? UFC APEX, Enterprise, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night 224? Click here to buy tickets for UFC Fight Night
What channel is UFC Fight Night 224 on? BT Sport 1
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night 224? BT Sport subscribers can stream the fight online via the BT Sport website
For viewers in the United States, the event will be shown live on ESPN+ and you can sign up for access as part of a Disney Bundle here!
ANDRE FIALHO VS JOAQUIN BUCKLEY LOWDOWN
2022 was a hectic of a year for Andre Fialho (16-6(1)). He made his UFC debut on short notice against Michel Pereira losing a unanimous decision but responded with two ‘Performance of the Night’ bonuses knocking out Miguel Baeza and Cameron VanCamp in the first round. However, he ended the year getting knocked out twice by Jake Matthews and Muslim Salikhov.
Joaquin Buckley (15-6) got four fights in last year himself and also experienced mixed fortunes. He earnt a hard-fought split decision over Abdul Razak Alhassan and followed it up by knocking out Albert Duraev handing the Russian his first loss in 11 fights. However, he went on to lose a unanimous decision to Nassouridine Imavov and get knocked out by Chris Curtis.
ANDRE FIALHO VS JOAQUIN BUCKLEY PREDICTION
We have two bangers desperate for a win, so we expect a show on the feet. They match up similarly physically and both possess knockout power.
Buckley is more explosive with a more diverse attack whereas Fialho is a technically sound boxer. He does not kick as much as he should which will give Buckley less to worry about in the exchanges.
Buckley drops back down to welterweight which is a better class for him as his power will be even more lethal and he is chunky for the division.
Expect him to press the action and utilize more kicks. He will have to pace himself as Fialho is durable despite getting knocked out in his last two fights. The Portuguese native will be more patient and wait to counter Buckley’s attacks.
We can see a three-round war here but more likely, a knockout will fall either way. As Fialho is the underdog, he is the value pick, but we are leaning towards Buckley who will be more dynamic, offer more output and also has some wrestling in the back pocket if he needs it.
Prediction: Buckley via KO/TKO
Value bet: Fialho to win