MMA Preview – Raoni Barcelos vs Victor Henry at UFC 270
RAONI BARCELOS VS VICTOR HENRY FACTS
When is UFC 270? Sunday 23rd December, 2021 - 01:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC 270? Honda Center, Anaheim, California (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC 270? Click here to buy tickets for UFC 270
What channel is UFC 270 on? BT Sport 2
Where can I stream UFC 270? 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!
RAONI BARCELOS VS VICTOR HENRY LOWDOWN
Raoni Barcelos (16-2) finally got derailed in his last fight back in June. He finished Kurt Holobaugh (2018), Chris Gutierrez (2018) and Carlos Huachin (2019) in his first three UFC fights and then earnt unanimous decisions over Said Nurmagomedov (2019) and Khalid Taha (2020) to extend his streak to nine. However, he then crossed paths with Timur Valiev back in June who was busy compiling his own impressive streak and snuck past Barcelos in a majority decision.
Trevin Jones was lined up for Barcelos at UFC Fight Night 199, but he pulled out giving Victor Henry (21-5) the opportunity to make his UFC debut. Covid protocols then scuppered that bout but fortunately for us and them, they are now on the stacked pay-per-view card. Henry has built an impressive record himself fighting for various promotions and even has wins over Anderson dos Santos and Kyler Phillips (2018). They were part of an eight-fight win streak capped off by two finishes for Rizin, but he then lost a unanimous decision to Denis Lavrentyev for MFP last year. He bounced back with a submission win over Albert Morales a couple months ago for Lights Out Xtreme and now steps up for the biggest fight of his career.
RAONI BARCELOS VS VICTOR HENRY PREDICTION
Preparing for Barcelos on short notice is no easy task so Henry has to approach this feeling he has nothing to lose and just let his hands go.
The former RFA champion is a decorated jiu-jitsu competitor and Henry is not going to trouble him on the floor despite his own impressive ground skills. We expect the majority of this fight to remain on the feet where we give Barcelos the edge.
Barcelos has the speed and power to put Henry away, but he has to respect his striking. Henry has speed and mixes his attacks up well, so as long as Barcelos fights smart, he should earn the win with a variety of outcomes possible for him.
Henry is UFC calibre and as a significant underdog, he is worth a shout, but this is Barcelos’ to lose.
Prediction: Barcelos via Decision - CLICK HERE FOR PARIMATCH'S WELCOME OFFER (BET £5, GET £30 IN BONUSES!)
Value Bet: Henry to win
