MMA Preview – Vicente Luque vs Belal Muhammad 2 at UFC on ESPN 34
Click here for today’s sports betting tips from our expert analysts!
VICENTE LUQUE VS BELAL MUHAMMAD FACTS
When is UFC on ESPN 34? Saturday 16th April, 2022 - 21:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC on ESPN 34? UFC APEX, Enterprise, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC on ESPN 34? Click here for the tickets at the O2 Arena
What channel is UFC on ESPN 34 on? BT Sport 2
Where can I stream UFC on ESPN 34? 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!
VICENTE LUQUE VS BELAL MUHAMMAD LOWDOWN
After serving as the backup for Kamaru Usman vs Colby Covington 2, Vicente Luque (21-7-1) looks to press on to finally earn his title shot. He has only lost once in his last 11 and continues to put top welterweights away. The blip came when he got outclassed on the feet in a unanimous decision to Stephen Thompson (2019). Since then, he has gone on to knock out Niko Price (2020) and Randy Brown (2020) before wrapping up a couple D’Arce chokes on Tyron Woodley (2021) and Michael Chiesa (2021). A championship fight must loom with another finish especially as other fighters get title shots with far less impressive streaks.
Belal Muhammad (20-3(1)) has also been racking up the dubs in the stacked division. His last loss was back in 2019 losing a unanimous decision to Geoff Neal. He has gone on sweep aside Curtis Millender (2019), Takashi Sato (2019), Lyman Good (2020) and Dhiego Lima (2021) before that ‘no contest’ with Leon Edwards (2021). Now, he is coming off two more unanimous decisions over former title contenders Demian Maia (2021) and Stephen Thompson (2021).
VICENTE LUQUE VS BELAL MUHAMMAD PREDICTION
Luque took home the spoils back in 2016 inflicting Muhammad’s sole knockout loss and finish. They were both quality fighters back then and now they have matured into top tier welterweights. Muhammad will have the edge when it comes to wrestling but Luque is the better striker and is also better on the ground as a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. So, the question is whether Muhammad can hang with Luque on the feet and leverage his wrestling to subdue him and nullify his dangerous weapons.
We fully expect Muhammad to make this gritty and try and grind Luque down over five rounds. He will have the confidence to trade, but Luque is arguably the most potent finisher in the division and knows first-hand, he can knock Muhammad out.
Muhammad’s striking has improved a lot, but he will be smart enough to try and bank the early rounds with his wrestling tiring Luque out. However, avoiding getting clipped or dropped and submitted by Luque is a tough ask over five rounds.
This is going to be a very competitive fight, so the smart money is on a Muhammad decision considering he is the underdog, but we are backing Luque’s class and power on the feet to convince the judges or eventually find a knockout blow.
Prediction: Luque via KO/TKO - CLICK HERE FOR PARIMATCH'S WELCOME OFFER (BET £5, GET £30 IN BONUSES!)
Value Bet: Muhammad via Decision
