MMA Preview – Ryan Benoit vs Zarrukh Adashev at UFC Vegas 33
RYAN BENOIT VS ZARRUKH ADASHEV FACTS
When is UFC Vegas 33? Sunday 1st August, 2021 - 00:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Vegas 33? UFC APEX, Enterprise, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC Vegas 33? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC events
What channel is UFC Vegas 33 on? BT Sport 1
Where can I stream UFC Vegas 33? 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!
RYAN BENOIT VS ZARRUKH ADASHEV LOWDOWN
Ryan Benoit (10-7) has failed to stay afloat in the UFC flyweight division, but he does have a TKO win over Sergio Pettis. That was in 2015 and since he got submitted by Ben Nguyen, responded with a split decision win over Fredy Serrano then fell on the wrong side of a split decision against the current champion Brandon Moreno which does not look like a bad loss now. He then knocked out Ashkan Mokhtarian with a beautiful head kick but did not fight for a couple years. He returned at bantamweight losing a split decision to Alateng Heili and then dropped back down to lose a split decision to Tim Elliott a year ago.
Zarrukh Adashev (3-3) is desperate for a win. He has lost both of his UFC fights and another loss to Benoit will surely open the door to a UFC exit. He has come from a successful kickboxing background going 19-3 in his professional career and strung three Bellator MMA wins together to earn a call-up to the UFC. He TKO’d Christian Medina (2018), outpointed Ron Leon (2019) and added another TKO over Tevin Dyce (2019). He was matched up with Tyson Nam for his debut and got sparked out cold in the first round and then lost a unanimous decision to Su Mudaerji seven months later in January this year.
RYAN BENOIT VS ZARRUKH ADASHEV PREDICTION
These two will not be breaking the internet with a combined UFC record of 3-7 but they have been pushed up to the main UFC Vegas 33 card after all the dropouts and have a good opportunity to display their skill.
Adashev’s skill clearly lies in his striking as a kickboxer. Benoit’s strengths also lie in his striking with power in both hands and feet. So, this should be an interesting striking battle.
Adashev will want to step into range and offload combinations from his southpaw stance. Benoit will be ready to counter and if he starts to land expect Adashev to step back and focus on leg kicks.
This is not the highest level of MMA fight, and we are leaning towards Benoit simply because Adashev has not proven himself against anyone of a decent standard. A knockout either is possible as their chins are not the strongest, but we are going for a Benoit decision.
Prediction: Benoit via Decision - CLICK HERE FOR PARIMATCH'S WELCOME OFFER (BET £5, GET £30 IN BONUSES!)
