Magomedov Vs. Oleksiejczuk Betting Odds, Prediction | UFC Betting Sites

UFC Fight Night: Magomedov v Trocoli — Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight strikers Shara Magomedov vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk will collide this weekend (Sat., Aug. 3, 2024) at UFC Abu Dhabi inside Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

This is the rare example of a last-second fight swap being an overall improvement. A Nick Diaz fight in 2024? Nobody needs to see that. Magomedov and Oleksiejczuk both fought in June and were more than willing to jump back into action on short notice. “Bullet” is two fights deep into his UFC career, and the kickboxer has already built up a fair bit of hype thanks to his flashy style. Oleksiejczuk, meanwhile, has proven himself a top-tier action fighter, but holes in his grappling game are responsible for three losses in his last four fights.

Let’s take a closer look at the betting odds and strategic keys for each athlete:

Magomedov vs. Oleksiejczuk Betting Odds

Shara Magomedov victory: -238
Shara Magomedov via TKO/KO/DQ: TBD
Shara Magomedov via submission: TBD
Shara Magomedov via decision: TBD
Michal Oleksiejczuk victory: +195
Michal Oleksiejczuk via TKO/KO/DQ: TBD
Michal Oleksiejczuk via submission: TBD
Michal Oleksiejczuk via decision: TBD
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

How Magomedov Wins

Magomedov is one of the most unique strikers on the roster. He kicks very fast and very actively for a Middleweight, and he has a deep arsenal of different kicks. His wrestling and grappling appear to still be developing, but at the moment, “Bullet” is one of the more standout 185-pound prospects.

Range will be key here, as this is a kicker vs. puncher match up. Magomedov wants this fight to take place from a further distance than Oleksiejczuk, who will surely be trying to press and cut off the cage. A big factor in Magomedov’s ability to keep distance will be intercepting shots, meaning strikes that hurt Oleksiejczuk more the harder the Polish fighter steps into them.

Fortunately, Magomedov is quite good at timing intercepting strikes. Front kicks and knees should be major weapons for him here, and each successful land helps convince Oleksiejczuk to ease off the pressure. Once that happens, Magomedov will be able to kick more freely, and his job gets progressively easier.

UFC Fight Night: Njokuani v Oleksiejczuk

How Oleksiejczuk Wins

Oleksiejczuk has excellent boxing. Even at Light Heavyweight, the Polish striker was putting foes on the floor despite being fairly small for 185-pounds! The problem is that his grappling is genuinely bad, meaning that getting submitted will always be a serious concern.

Good thing Shara Magomedov is the Dagestani fighter that doesn’t wrestle!

Oleksiejczuk is more than accustomed to pressuring his opponents. He cuts off the cage well and punishes them with combinations up and down the body. If nothing else, the Southpaw understands how he wins fights, and his usual approach fits well to taking on a kicker like Magomedov.

One adjustment Oleksiejczuk could make is to finish his combinations with kicks. He may be more of a boxer, but it’s not that hard to add a low kick to the end of his punching combos! Magomedov moves laterally a lot, so if Oleksiejczuk is able to chop his legs a bit while he’s shuffling sideways, that will help slow the Russian down and leave him more vulnerable to punches.

Magomedov vs. Oleksiejczuk Prediction

This is a difficult fight to predict, more of a pick ‘em in my eyes than the odds suggest.

Magomedov has hype … but is he any good? Beating a shopworn Bruno Silva and ill-prepared Antonio Trocoli means very little to me. Obviously, he’s quite athletic and has great kicking skills, but it’s also clear that he doesn’t yet have the fully-formed mixed martial arts (MMA) game necessary to be an elite Middleweight.

At the same time, Oleksiejczuk is a clearly flawed fighter himself … but not in a way Magomedov has the skills to capitalize upon? This is a full-on kickboxing match, and Oleksiejczuk typically wins those. Hell, just a month ago he was knocking around Kevin Holland before he fell into an armbar because he floored “Trailblazer.”

In short, it’s hard to be overly confident in either man for the reasons explained above. Despite Magomedov’s likely higher ceiling overall, the style match up favors the Polish puncher, who likely can get inside and land damaging shots.

Prediction: Oleksiejczuk victory (+195)

Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Abu Dhabi fight card right here, starting with the ESPN/ESPN+ “Prelims” matches, which are scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. ET, then the remaining main card balance on ABC/ESPN (simulcast on ESPN+) at 3 p.m. ET.

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