MMA Preview – Martin Day vs Timur Valiev at UFC Vegas 18
MARTIN DAY VS TIMUR VALIEV FACTS
When is UFC Vegas 18? Saturday 6th January, 2021 – 23:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Vegas 18? UFC APEX, Las Vegas, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC Vegas 18? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC events
What channel is UFC Vegas 18 on? BT Sport 1
Where can I stream UFC Vegas 18? 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!
MARTIN DAY VS TIMUR VALIEV LOWDOWN
Martin Day (8-5) steps in for Julio Arce clearly desperate to prevent a four-fight skid. He made his UFC debut off the back off three impressive wins back in November 2018, but he came up short in a split decision with Pingyuan Liu and he did not return to the cage for 21 months. It was UFC 251 on Fight Island and he fought well but got caught with a clinical left hook from Davey Grant in the third round. He returned a few months later only to be caught in Anderson dos Santos’ guillotine.
Timur Valiev (16-2(1)) welcomes Day as the replacement and hopes to pile on more misery on his second UFC appearance. The sambo specialist entered the UFC riding a six-fight win streak carrying a lot of hype, and was chewing Trevin Jones up, dominating the fight on the feet but got caught with a big right hand to spark the upset. However, his record was spared the loss as Jones tested positive overturning the loss to a ‘no contest’.
MARTIN DAY VS TIMUR VALIEV PREDICTION
Day is better than his form and record suggests but this is a very tough match-up for him. Day is a striker by trade with weaknesses in his ground game and Valiev is a grappling beast. The Dagestani has the ability to throw Day around, unleash ground-and-pound and set up a submission but he will try and get the job done on the feet where he is also a beast.
He will chop Day down with punishing leg kicks and kicks up the middle to find the chin. Expect some exciting exchanges but Valiev to come out on top with damaging combinations with the confidence of knowing he can take the fight to the ground whenever he wants.
Prediction: Valiev via KO/TKO – CLICK HERE FOR PARIMATCH'S WELCOME OFFER (BET £5, GET £30 IN BONUSES!)
