MMA Preview – Rani Yahya vs Victor Henry at UFC on ESPN 55
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RANI YAHYA VS VICTOR HENRY FACTS
When is UFC on ESPN 55? Sunday 28th April, 2024 - 01:00 (UK)
Where is UFC on ESPN 55? UFC Apex, Enterprise, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC on ESPN 55? Click here to buy tickets for UFC on ESPN
What channel is UFC on ESPN 55 on? TNT Sports 1
Where can I stream UFC on ESPN 55? 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!
RANI YAHYA VS VICTOR HENRY LOWDOWN
It is easy to forget that Rani Yahya (28-11-1(1)) is one of the longest serving fighters in the UFC. That is down to his inactivity, and he has only fought three times in the last four years. Two of those were solid wins against Ray Rodriguez (2021) via submission and Kyung-Ho Kang (2021) via unanimous decision. He returned a year ago to fight Montel Jackson but got starched in the first round denting his UFC tally to 13-5-1(1).
Victor Henry (23-6(1)) welcomes him back and would also welcome some consistency in his performances. He made quite the entrance to the UFC by causing the upset at UFC 270 outpointing Raoni Barcelos (2022). He then lost a unanimous decision to Raphael Assuncao (2022) before earning a split decision over Tony Gravely (2023). He then met Javid Basharat (2023) at UFC 294 which ended in a premature ‘no contest’ after his nutsack got TKO’d in second round.
RANI YAHYA VS VICTOR HENRY PREDICTION
Yahya is a scrapper and he will throw unorthodox strikes to create scrambles and drag Henry to the canvas. His Brazilian jiu-jitsu is elite, but if he cannot pin Henry down, he is going to have a long night.
Henry is a colossal favourite as he has the wrestling to defend the relentless takedown attempts and the striking to piece Yahya up. He will enforce a relentless pace and we feel his defensive grappling will help him stay out of trouble.
That said, the Brazilian requires only one mistake to cause a huge upset. He is worth a punt, but on paper, Henry should take this.
Prediction: Henry via Decision
Value bet: Yahya to win
