MMA Preview – Justin Tafa vs Karl Wiliams at UFC ESPN 53
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JUSTIN TAFA VS KARL WILLIAMS FACTS
When is UFC on ESPN 53? Sunday 24th March, 2024 - 00:00 (UK)
Where is UFC on ESPN 53? UFC Apex, Enterprise, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC on ESPN 53? Click here to buy tickets for UFC on ESPN
What channel is UFC on ESPN 53 on? TNT Sports 2
Where can I stream UFC on ESPN 53? TNT Sports subscribers can stream the fight online via the TNT Sports website and Discovery+
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!
JUSTIN TAFA VS KARL WILLIAMS LOWDOWN
The ole Tafa switcheroo. Justin Tafa (7-3) was supposed to fight Marcos Rogerio de Lima at UFC 298, but unfortunately pulled out the day before. His brother Junior stepped in and got his leg kicked to pieces forcing him out of this scheduled fight with Williams. However, Justin has recovered and now filled in for his brother hoping to continue his unbeaten run. He starched Harry Hunsucker (2021) and Parker Porter (2023) before burying Austen Lane (2023) at UFC 293 three months after their ‘no contest’ due to that eye poke.
Karl Williams (9-1) also looks to build on his unbeaten run which contains six straight dubs. We first saw him on the Contender Series where he earnt a unanimous decision over Jimmy Lawson (2022). He followed that up with two more dominant decisions over Lukasz Brzeski (2023) and Chase Sherman (2023).
JUSTIN TAFA VS KARL WILLIAMS PREDICTION
This fight should be rather straight forward for whoever wins. If Tafa walks away victorious it will be a quick and violent knockout. If Williams is the victor, it will be down to his wrestling keeping the Aussie on his back.
Williams is one of the best wrestlers in the division and he will be able to take Tafa down. It is just a question of whether he gets clipped by a missile in the meantime. Williams is also a powerful striker and although Tafa is a much better on the feet, if he does not respect Williams’ hands, we can see him getting caught.
That said, a Williams decision or Tafa knockout are the most likely outcomes, and we are backing the favourite to grind the slugger down.
Prediction: Williams via Decision
Value bet: Tafa via KO/TKO
