MMA Preview – Makwan Amirkhani vs Lerone Murphy at UFC 267
MAKWAN AMIRKHANI VS LERONE MURPHY FACTS
When is UFC 267? Saturday 30th October, 2021 - 17:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC 267? Etihad Arena, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi (UAE)
Where can I get tickets for UFC 267? Click here to buy tickets for UFC 267
What channel is UFC 267 on? BT Sport 2
Where can I stream UFC 267? 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!
MAKWAN AMIRKHANI VS LERONE MURPHY LOWDOWN
Makwan Amirkhani (16-6) is in a rough patch losing three of his last four although two of those were Shane Burgos and Edson Barboza. Burgos (2019) TKO’d him in the third round and he responded is classic Amirkhani fashion by wrapping Danny Henry (2020) up in an anaconda choke. He then took a beating from Barboza (2020) but managed to see the bell in a unanimous decision and is coming off a more disappointing loss to Kamuela Kirk back in June losing another unanimous decision.
Nobody is talking about Lerone Murphy (10-0-1) but he is unbeaten and coming off two quality wins over Ricardo Ramos (2020) and Douglas Silva de Andrade (2021). He was also handed a tough debut in the form of Zubaira Tukhugov (2019) and displayed some incredible defensive wrestling to earn a draw. He went on to knock Ramos out picking up a ‘performance of the night’ and earn a unanimous decision over Silva de Andrade.
MAKWAN AMIRKHANI VS LERONE MURPHY PREDICTION
Murphy looks like the real deal with buckets of potential, his only problem is that he has not been very active. Amirkhani on the other hand has and amassing some valuable experience against top fighters in the process.
We can expect Amirkhani to chain his takedown attempts together to try drag the fight into his domain where he will persistently look for submissions. Murphy is not on his level on the mat, but as we saw in the Tukhugov fight, he is very difficult to take down.
Amirkhani will look great in the first round, but if he fails in his takedowns, his gas tank will fade quickly which will allow Murphy to keep the fight on the feet and into his domain. If Amirkhani does get the Murphy down, he will be trouble but, his cardio will be crucial in weathering the early storm.
Considering Amirkhani is the underdog, a first or second round submission is a good shout. However, we are backing Murphy’s cardio and takedown defence to survive the first round and then come into his own on the feet where he will piece Amirkhani up with kicks and strikes to the body and may even set up a late finish.
Prediction: Murphy via Decision - CLICK HERE FOR PARIMATCH'S WELCOME OFFER (BET £5, GET £30 IN BONUSES!)
Value Bet: Amirkhani via Submission
