The UFC is back in the Apex on Saturday with an intriguing middleweight matchup as Brendan Allen takes on Paul Craig.
Both fighters are coming off wins and hoping to make a statement and a case to move up the middleweight rankings.
Here are the UFC Fight Night 232 odds, props, and predictions.
UFC Fight Night 232 Main Event Odds
The sportsbooks see Allen as a fairly moderate favorite, coming in at around -355. Craig is the underdog at around +280.
UFC Fight Night 232 Betting Preview: Allen vs Craig
Brendan Allen (22-5 MMA, 10-2 UFC) has been on a tear since coming out of the Dana White Contender Series in 2019.
The No. 10-ranked middleweight submission specialist has also stayed pretty active, fighting a dozen times in the last five years.
Plus, he’s built an impressive resume with only two losses: current champion Sean Strickland and fellow ranked middleweight Chris Curtis.
In fact, Allen is currently on a five-fight win streak with four of those wins coming by submission. He has wins over Kevin Holland, Tom Breese, Bruno Silva, Andre Muniz, Sam Alvey, and more.
His latest win over Silva was an impressive rear-naked choke in the final 30 seconds of the first round.
But Paul Craig (17-6-1 MMA, 9-6-1 UFC) is coming off of an impressive TKO over Muniz himself.
Folks shouldn’t just look at Craig’s record in the UFC and underestimate him. Craig has wins over former Light Heavyweight Champion Jamahal Hill, Nikita Krylov, Shogun Rua, and Magomed Ankalaev.
His fight against Allen will only be his second at middleweight, but with a win, he could jump up the rankings quite a bit.
Allen and Craig have 13 submission wins each. This fight may more than likely end up on the ground and become a jiu-jitsu match. But it shouldn’t be ruled out that this fight could actually be won on the feet.
The guy with the most solid striking will have a better chance at taking home the W. Both are more prepared to roll for five rounds if needed. If one of the fighters can land a solid combo or a nice, clean shot early, it may catch the other by surprise.
A win for either fighter could set up a match against someone like Jack Hermansson or Roman Dolidze.
The matchup should be a good one and is flying under the radar between two big PPV events to close out 2023 with UFC 295 last weekend and UFC 296 next month.
UFC Vegas 82 Event Info
- Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas, NV
- Date: Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023
- Start Time: Main Card at 5 p.m. ET
- Where to Watch: ESPN+
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