UFC 236 occurs Saturday night in Atlanta, and you can watch the five-fight main card live on ESPN+. The card is ripe with fascinating struggles throughout the night, however, a majority of fans will probably be most-interested in the event’s closing two conflicts for its interim middleweight and lightweight titles.
We already have you covered with in-depth betting analysis on the main and co-main event…
Max Holloway & Dustin Poirier Rematch for Lightweight Gold
Can Kelvin Gastelum Steal Israel Adesanya’s Spotlight?
… but that doesn’t mean we still can’t find out a thing or two on the night’s extra 11 struggles!
What follows is a short breakdown on each matchup in UFC 236 in an effort to learn enough about every fighter to make a more educated bet on these if your heart needs.
UFC 236
Interim Lightweight Title Fight: Max Holloway (-205) vs. Dustin Poirier (+165)
Poirier has been on a war path since returning to light-weight April, 2015. Overall, he has won eight of his last 10 fights and suffered only 1 loss (KO to Michael Johnson) and one no contest in his first battle against Eddie Alvarez. Poirier ranks first among busy UFC lightweights in striking differential per minute at +2.69.
Both Poirier (7.11 strikes per second ) and Holloway (6.9) rank among the top-five highest-volume strikers in the total UFC. Holloway’s quantity is like an avalanche that becomes more-and-more overpowering as the fight goes on.
Holloway’s last fight was arguably the finest championship performance in UFC history. Overall, his 290 significant strikes in a struggle broke the UFC tournament album.
Holloway started the week as a -230 favored, but activity has arrived in greatly on Poirier ever since.
Interim Middleweight Title Fight: Kelvin Gastelum (+150) vs. Israel Adesanya (-185)
Gastelum managed to record a minumum of one knockdown against former winners Jacare Souza, Michael Bisping, Chris Weidman and Vitor Belfort during his hellacious run during the middleweight division. His constant barrages of one-two combinations have been difficult for just about all his opponents do cope with during his career.
Israel’The Last Stylebender’ Adesanya is a former Glory Kickboxing winner who has rung up a 16-0 record to start his own mixed martial arts career. He will not need anything related to Gastelum — a state championship wrestler in high school — about the ground, but we’ve yet to see someone come close to out-classing Adesanya around the toes during his five UFC wins.
Adesanya started the week as a -175 favored, but has since transferred to -185 supporting the public’s support.
Light Heavyweight Fight: Eryk Anders (-200) vs. Khalil Rountree (+160)
Anders played linebacker under Nick Saban in Alabama from 2006-2009 before beginning his mixed martial arts profession. All three of Anders’ livelihood losses have come in his last four fights, but those were just two split-decision losses along with one TKO reduction via referee stoppage throughout his short-notice light heavyweight debut against Thiago Santos, who will fight Jon Jones to the division’s championship in July.
Rountree listed the biggest victory of his career at UFC 226 against long-time championship kickboxer Gokhan Saki, but was pumped out by rising contender Johnny Walker last November. Rountree’s career striking differential of -0.99 has made it hard for him to win conflicts by any way other than a finish, and he’s consequently lost both of his livelihood UFC fights that have made it beyond the first round.
Welterweight Fight: Alan Jouban (-120) vs. Dwight Grant (-110)
Jouban will be providing up a five-inch reach advantage to Grant. This is uncharted territory for Jouban during his 11-fight UFC profession, but he is 3-1 in fights with a reach benefit of three or more inches. Meanwhile, the Grant is 1-1 at the UFC with a success over Carlo Pedersoli Jr. (75-inch reach) plus a split-decision loss to Zak Ottow (72-inch reach).
The x-factor within this struggle might end up being quantity. Jouban finds himself among the top-10 welterweights in UFC history in knockdowns landed (No. 4), significant strike accuracy (No. 7), strikes per second (No. 3) and striking differential (No. 4).
Light Heavyweight Fight: Ovince Saint Preux (-110) vs. Nikita Krylov (-120)
Krylov has quite literally never had a fight go to the judges in 30 career MMA fights. This includes 10 fights within the Octagon, which were featured three wins by TKO/KO and three by entry compared to three losses by submission as well as one by TKO.
This is in fact a rematch from UFC 171, when OSP defeated Krylov by first-round entry. The finish featured Saint Preux’s signature entry: The Von Flue choke.
UFC 236 Prelims
Lightweight Fight: Jalin Turner (-140) vs. Matt Frevola (+110)
Turner boasts enormous height (6-foot-3 vs. 5-foot-9) and reach (77 inches vs. 71) benefits over Frevola, but that advantage could be mitigated if the latter fighter is able to instigate his takedown-heavy assault. Turner was last observed starching Callan Potter in only 53 seconds back in UFC 234 in February.
Flyweight Fight: Wilson Reis (+130) vs. Alexandre Pantoja (-160)
Reis is presently the UFC’s No. 4 ranked flyweight ahead of his departure with fifth-ranked Alexandre Pantoja. Although Reis has lost three of his last four fights, they’ve come against a high-level competitors like John Moraga, present flyweight champion Henry Cejudo and former winner Demetrious Johnson. Both Reis (12:08) and Pantoja (11:58) have average fight times that could indicate we’ll see this fight last to the third round.
Welterweight Fight: Max Griffin (-105) vs. Zelim Imadaev (-125)
Imadaev opened the week with -115 odds. Public assistance has come in on the undefeated Russian, who has won all eight of his fights by TKO or KO. He’s making his debut inside the octagon against Max Griffin, who has lost four of the last six fights dating back to August, 2016. There’s a bit of terrible blood here, as Griffin sparred with Imadaev once upon a time and had this to say about his competitor…
“He is an ass, man. He’s not a fantastic man… I don’t like the guy… I am excited about showing him what it is like.”
Bantamweight Fight: Boston Salmon (-150) vs. Khalid Taha (+120)
Boston’Boom Boom’ Salmon has only lost once in seven career conflicts (by split-decision). Salmon won his last fight against Ricky Turcios about the debut episode of Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series. He will hold a four-inch height advantage of Taha, who has dropped two of his last 3 fights. Backing Salmon in his ancient -135 chances was among my favourite bets on the card, but he still offers a bit of value at his current -150 odds.
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UFC 236 Early Prelims
Welterweight Fight: Curtis Millender (+115) vs. Belal Muhammad (-145)
Millender fought just last month at UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. dos Santos, ultimately losing by submission (rear-naked choke) into Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos. Muhammad has also been busy, as he endured a unanimous decision loss to Geoff Neal back in January at UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs. Dillashaw. Millender boasts three and four inch height and reach advantages, respectively, although Muhammad has been a lot more of a takedown threat throughout his UFC career.
Bantamweight Fight: Montel Jackson (-550) vs. Andre Soukhamthath (+375)
Jackson opened the week as a -500 favored, but has since moved higher. He’s the biggest favorite on the card. Soukhamthath is 13-6 as a professional and is being fed to Jackson, who has dropped just once in eight career bouts.
Women Strawweight Fight: Lauren Mueller (+145) vs. Poliana Botelho (-175)
Both of these women have high striking rates and don’t waste their time getting started. This is very true for Botelho, who notched the third-fastest finish in the history of this UFC women’s division back in May, 2018.
Bantamweight Fight: Brandon Davis (-170) vs. Randy Costa (+140)
Costa is undefeated in four professional conflicts, while Davis is only 9-5. Both fighters are making a debut of sorts, as Costa will probably be inside the octagon for the very first time in his career, while Davis has apparently never fought 135 pounds.
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