MMA Preview – Ben Rothwell vs Chris Barnett at UFC Vegas 27
Looking for some acca suggestions for the weekend? Why not head on over to see what our expert MLS tipsters are saying!
BEN ROTHWELL VS CHRIS BARNETT FACTS
When is UFC Vegas 27? Sunday 23rd May, 2021 - 01:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Vegas 27? UFC APEX, Enterprise, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC Vegas 27? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC events
What channel is UFC Vegas 27 on? BT Sport 1
Where can I stream UFC Vegas 27? 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!
BEN ROTHWELL VS CHRIS BARNETT LOWDOWN
‘Big’ Ben Rothwell’s (38-13) brief resurgence was snapped by Marcin Tybura in his last fight. Rothwell went on a miserable three-fight skid getting outpointed by Junior dos Santos (2016), Blagoy Ivanov (2019) and Andrei Arlovski (2019) compounded by a ban in between for a failed drugs test. However, he bagged his first win in nearly four years coming back to knock out Stefan Struve and followed it up with a split decision over Ovince Saint Preux. However, Tybura filled that loss column back up with a unanimous decision back in October.
Chris ‘Huggy Bear’ Barnett (21-6) steps up as a late replacement after a series of dropouts. Rothwell was scheduled to fight Philipe Lins at UFC Vegas 21 but as he got injured, they were rescheduled for UFC Vegas 26 but Lins fell ill the day before the fight. Lins then had to drop out again for this event handing Askar Mozharov a chance for a debut but as he could not get a visa in time, Barnett fills in and is riding a six-fight win streak including four knockouts in a variety of promotions.
BEN ROTHWELL VS CHRIS BARNETT PREDICTION
On paper, this should be a complete mismatch given Rothwell’s experience and significant height and reach advantage. Barnett’s only chance seems to be landing a huge bomb. He is deceptively quick with blistering power, but Rothwell has not been knocked out since 2014 even though he has scrapped with the likes of Matt Mitrione, Junior dos Santos and Andrei Arlovski.
Rothwell is a shadow of his former pre-ban self, but we are firmly backing him here. If he does not land a knockout, you can expect him to completely dominate the clinch with his size and power and as the fight goes on, more opportunities will open up for a submission.
Prediction: Rothwell via Submission - CLICK HERE FOR PARIMATCH'S WELCOME OFFER (BET £5, GET £30 IN BONUSES!)
