MMA Preview – Anthony Smith vs Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 277
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ANTHONY SMITH VS MAGOMED ANKALAEV FACTS
When is UFC 277? Sunday 30th July, 2022 - 01:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC 277? American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC 277? Click here to buy tickets for UFC 277
What channel is UFC 277 on? BT Sport 1
Where can I stream UFC 277? 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!
ANTHONY SMITH VS MAGOMED ANKALAEV LOWDOWN
Anthony Smith (36-16) has found a spark again or more importantly, some consistency. On his day, he troubles anyone, but has nights where he just does not show up. Glover Teixeira (2020) put a five-round beating on him ending his fate with a TKO. He then dropped out a limp decision to Aleksandar Rakic (2020), but he has since submitted Devin Clark (2020), disabled Jimmy Crute (2021) and is coming off a ruthless first-round submission over Ryan Spann (2021).
Magomed Ankalaev (17-1) has been the picture of consistency on the other hand. We have only seen a 10 second blip from him which came right at the end of his fight with Paul Craig (2018) getting caught in his triangle. That was his debut and has since racked up eight impressive wins and coming off three classy unanimous decisions over Nikita Krylov (2021), Volkan Oezdemir (2021) and Thiago Santos (2022)
ANTHONY SMITH VS MAGOMED ANKALAEV PREDICTION
This is the perfect way to kick off the main card. Ankalaev looks destined for a title shot and if he gets past Smith it will be hard to argue he does not deserve a tantalizing shot a Jiri Prochaza. His striking is clearly at an elite level, but he does not have the experience of Smith.
Smith has the nous to be competitive on the feet, but his only real advantage here is his jiu-jitsu. If this stays on the feet, it will be an exciting battle, but you have to back the Russian who operates on a different frequency with his timing and movement, switching stances, setting traps and dictating the range.
He has barely called upon his wrestling so far in the UFC, but it is also good enough to expose Smith’s takedown defence. We can see him winning the striking exchanges and taking Smith down landing in top position. If that is how the fight plays out, an Ankalaev decision or knockout is most likely and considering the odds, a Smith submission is worth a small punt.
Prediction: Ankalaev via Decision - CLICK HERE FOR PARIMATCH'S WELCOME OFFER (BET £5, GET £30 IN BONUSES!)
Value Bet: Smith via Submission
