MMA Preview – Ilir Latifi vs Rodrigo Nascimento at UFC Fight Night 224
Click here for today’s sports betting tips from our expert analysts!
ILIR LATIFI VS RODRIGO NASCIMENTO FACTS
When is UFC Fight Night 224? Saturday May 20th March, 2023 - 22:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Fight Night 224? UFC APEX, Enterprise, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night 224? Click here to buy tickets for UFC Fight Night
What channel is UFC Fight Night 224 on? BT Sport 1
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night 224? 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!
ILIR LATIFI VS RODRIGO NASCIMENTO LOWDOWN
Ilir Latifi (16-8(1)) has not retired yet and is coming off two decision wins. Losses to Corey Anderson (2018) and Volkan Oezdemir (2019) forced the move up to the heavyweight and Derrick Lewis (2020) welcomed him with a unanimous decision loss. However, Latifi has responded with wins over Tanner Boser (2021) and Alexey Oleynik.
Rodrigo Nascimento (9-1(1)) has not exactly set the division alight either and is 2-1(1) in the UFC. He opened up his UFC account with a submission over Don’Tale Mayes (2020) but then got sparked out by Chris Daukaus (2020). He then knocked out Alan Baudot (2021) but it got overturned to a ‘No Contest’ after failing a drugs test. Now, he is coming off a win over Boser (2022) which was also a split decision.
ILIR LATIFI VS RODRIGO NASCIMENTO PREDICTION
We can fully expect Latifi to waste little time in trying to grab a hold of Nascimento and tie him up for three rounds. His Greco-Roman wrestling has been good enough to subdue many of his foes including two heavyweights.
However, Nascimento is a lot bigger than Boser and Oleynik. The Brazilian is also a skilful grappler and although nobody in the UFC has attempted to take him down, he will be very difficult to control.
We can see Latifi finding success in the first round while he is fresh, but carrying Nascimento’s weight will drain him. The Brazilian is the favourite and we expect him to look stronger in the second and third round to earn a decision.
Prediction: Nascimento via Decision
Value bet: Latifi via Decision
