MMA Preview – Augusto Sakai vs Sergey Spivak at UFC Vegas 59
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AUGUSTO SAKAI VS SERGEY SPIVAK FACTS
When is UFC Vegas 59? Sunday 7th August, 2022 - 01:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Vegas 59? UFC APEX, Enterprise, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC Vegas 59? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC events
What channel is UFC Vegas 59 on? BT Sport 1
Where can I stream UFC Vegas 59? 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!
AUGUSTO SAKAI VS SERGEY SPIVAK LOWDOWN
Augusto Sakai’s (14-4-1) UFC career is hanging by a thread on a three-fight skid. He arrived to the UFC with a healthy 11-1-1 record after passing his Contender series audition and stormed his way up the rankings by beating Chase Sherman (2018), Andrei Arlovski (2019), Marcin Tybura (2019) and Blagoy Ivanov (2020). However, he could not hang with the guys in the upper echelon going on to get knocked out by Alistair Overeem (2020), Jairzinho Rozenstruik (2021) and Tai Tuivasa (2021).
Sergey Spivak (14-3) is another talented heavyweight that is unlikely to break that top 10. He lost a unanimous decision to Tybura (2020) but did go on to beat Carlos Felipe (2020), Jared Vanderaa (2021) and Alexey Oleynik (2021). He then went on to get completely outclassed and knocked out by Tom Aspinall (2021). There is no shame in that, and he responded by ruthlessly knocking out Greg Hardy in his last fight back in March.
AUGUSTO SAKAI VS SERGEY SPIVAK PREDICTION
Another loss could be curtains for Sakai’s UFC career and this is a very tough fight to keep them open. His game plan will remain the same and that will be to keep striking hoping his opponents falls. However, he is going to have to focus on his takedown defence as Spivak is a solid grappler.
Spivak is underrated and will be competitive on the feet, but he should have the nous to avoid Sakai’s strengths and tie him up quickly. If Sakai does not catch the Moldovan early, expect a lot of clinch work and control time for Spivak.
We expect Spivak’s grappling to earn him a decision, but considering the odds, a Sakai knockout is worth a small punt.
Prediction: Spivak via Decision - CLICK HERE FOR PARIMATCH'S WELCOME OFFER (BET £5, GET £30 IN BONUSES!)
Value Bet: Sakai via KO/TKO
