MMA Preview – Brian Kelleher vs Mario Bautista at UFC on ESPN 38
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BRIAN KELLEHER VS MARIO BAUTISTA FACTS
When is UFC on ESPN 38? Sunday 26th June, 2022 - 01:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC on ESPN 38? UFC APEX, Enterprise, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC on ESPN 38? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC events
What channel is UFC on ESPN 38 on? BT Sport 1
Where can I stream UFC on ESPN 38? 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!
BRIAN KELLEHER VS MARIO BAUTISTA LOWDOWN
‘Boom’ Brian Kelleher (24-13) returns after the seventh submission loss of his career. It was back in March and came to Umar Nurmagomedov who is also on the card. He made short work of Kelleher who was coming off two unanimous decision wins over Domingo Pilarte (2021) and Kevin Croom (2022). Consistency is his main issue which is not helped by floating between bantamweight and featherweight and is now 8-6 in the UFC.
Mario Bautista (9-2) is five fights deep into his UFC tenure now but still has his career ahead of him at 28 years old. He received a baptism of fire on his debut stepping in for John Lineker to get submitted in the first round by Cory Sandhagen (2019). He responded with a unanimous decision over Jin Soo Son (2019) and a stunning flying knee knockout over Miles Johns (2020). He then suffered the second loss of his career getting TKO’d by Trevin Jones (2021) but he is back on the winning trail outpointing Jay Perrin four months ago.
BRIAN KELLEHER VS MARIO BAUTISTA PREDICTION
These guys are very evenly matched. They are both powerful strikers with Bautista boasting the range advantage with three inches in height and reach on Kelleher. He will look to utilize it by maintaining the distance with his jab and leg kicks staying out of Kelleher’s range.
We all know Kelleher can crack, but his easiest route to victory here is to take Bautista down and work on a submission. However, he will have a tough time dragging the fight to the floor as Bautista has solid takedown defence and is also dangerous off his back. He will also be a knockout threat looking to time his explosive knees when Kelleher shoots in.
This will be a fascinating and competitive contest. Bautista is the favourite and we feel he has the tools to keep the fight where he wants it for the majority of 15 minutes while leveraging his reach to land more significant strikes to sway the judges.
Prediction: Bautista via Decision - CLICK HERE FOR PARIMATCH'S WELCOME OFFER (BET £5, GET £30 IN BONUSES!)
Value Bet: Kelleher to win
