MMA Preview – Anthony Hernandez vs Roman Kopylov at UFC 298
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ANTHONY HERNANDEZ VS ROMAN KOPYLOV FACTS
When is UFC 298? Sunday 18th February, 2024 - 01:00 (UK)
Where is UFC 298? Honda Center, Anaheim, California (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC 298? Click here to buy tickets for UFC 298
What channel is UFC 298 on? TNT Sports 2
Where can I stream UFC 298? TNT Sports subscribers can stream the fight online via the TNT Sports website and Discovery+
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!
ANTHONY HERNANDEZ VS ROMAN KOPYLOV LOWDOWN
Anthony Hernandez (11-2(1)) was preparing for Ikram Aliskerov who had to pull out. Not many people want to fight that guy, but Hernandez is in the form of his life coming off four quality wins. He pulled off a submission that will never be topped cinching up a guillotine on jiu-jitsu wizard Rodolfo Vieira (2021). He followed that up with a unanimous decision over Josh Fremd (2022) and then a TKO over Marc-Andre Barriault (2022) and submission over Edmen Shahbazyan (2023).
He has now been paired with a different form of killer. Roman Kopylov’s (12-2) grappling weaknesses were exposed in his first two UFC fights, but after some kinder matchmaking, he has put his strengths on full display knocking out Alessio Di Chirico (2022), Punahele Soriano (2023), Claudio Ribeiro (2023) and Fremd (2023).
ANTHONY HERNANDEZ VS ROMAN KOPYLOV PREDICTION
Although Kopylov takes this fight on short notice, he is also in the form of his life and will believe if he can defend the takedown, he will walk away with his 12th knockout.
Hernandez has not had much time to prepare for the new opponent, however the game plan is clear. He needs to put him on his back as soon as possible. Kopylov is an exceptional kickboxer and although Hernandez will back his own striking, he will be playing with fire every minute they are standing.
Kopylov has been working very hard on his takedown defence and will threaten the knee when Hernandez shoots in. We expect Hernandez to seal a takedown at some point, but we can see him struggling to keep him down.
If Hernandez can keep him down, his Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt skills will carve through him. However, we feel Kopylov will be able to spring back to his feet and create enough space to unload on Hernandez. His kicks in particular can chop down the legs and pierce the mid-section.
We understand why the Russian is the underdog, but he as the weaponry to cause the upset and find the knockout.
Prediction: Kopylov via KO/TKO
Value bet: Kopylov via KO/TKO
