This Saturday night, the UFC is headed back to the cozy confines of its headquarters in Las Vegas, the UFC Apex, and one of the fights on the card that has caught the eye is the featherweight duel of Isaac “The Midwest Choppa” Dulgarian and Brendon “The Kid” Marotte. The oddsmakers have made Dulgarian the clear favorite, and such an event has turned the heads of the enthusiasts who seek UFC free picks and insights, the main factor being the fights’ most engaging character and their records that complement and suggest a potentially volatile situation.
UFC fighter Isaac Dulgarian has established an excellent record of 6-1-0. He is not just any other fighter; he is an intelligent striker and a grappling fanatic, thus making him quite a dangerous fighter in the octagon. He averages a fight time of just under ten minutes. Nevertheless, within that range, he can demonstrate the exceptional speed of his movement combined with proper takedowns; 6.06 takedowns per 15 minutes are achieved with 47% accuracy. His striking accuracy of 58% with strikes landed per minute of 2.88 helps to improve his skills of fighting inside close quarters and from a distance to achieve effectiveness. Much like Gilbert Burns, who is set to command the main card of the welterweight bout, Dulgarian’s approach to mixing striking with ground control could be key in determining his fights’ pace and, ultimately, the outcome. Burns’ ability to control the pace and his opponents’ positioning reflects a similar tactical acumen to Dulgarian’s.
Brendon Marotte enters the ring with an 8-2-0 record on the opposite side. Regarding the sporting odds, he has even less than a good chance of upsetting the apple cart this time. Brendon’s striking accuracy stands at a staggering 100 percent. However, his present average fight time is only 20 seconds, indicating his capability to end fights swiftly. However, weaknesses may be suspected in the priorities of striking defense and grappling statistics, which Dulgarian could use. Marotte’s situation parallels that of Natalia Silva, who will compete in the Women’s Flyweight Bout, where both fighters showcase a high-risk, high-reward style of fighting that either secures swift victories or exposes them to tactical takedowns by more versatile fighters.
In light of the above, it is possible that Dulgarian’s grappling will help handle Marotte’s striking strength. If Dulgarian effectively manages to get close enough, he will likely be able to stifle Marotte’s striking offense. As such, it is not surprising to find betting markets creaming in the direction of -1800 disadvantages to Dulgarian, with general opinion suggesting that his all-round abilities and aggressiveness may just be too much for Marotte, especially with Dulgarian on top of him.
Marotte’s best chance is to keep the fight in the stand-up mode and utilize his relatively weak but still existent reach advantage for striking at Dulgarian from a safe distance. However, this does not bode well for him (+1300) due to being pegged as a heavy underdog. This bout features the striker vs. wrestler classic, and even though there is always a chance for a striker puncher, the smart money has been placed toward the more balanced fighter.
Moreover, although the bout is exciting, in the end, Isaac Dulgarian’s all-around fighting and strategy will take him past Brendon Marotte. If someone wants to consider making sports premium predictions, betting on Dulgarian’s ability to outperform and outbattle Marotte should be a good bet for UFC Fight Night 242.
