UFC on ESPN 13 Main Card Betting Odds and Predictions

The UFC’s Fight Island series resumes on Wednesday, July 15, with UFC on ESPN 13 at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.

Top 10 featherweights Calvin Kattar and Dan Ige headline the event which takes place less than a week after UFC 251. There are no title fights in this event but it’s not going to be short of all-out action with a well-matched fight card that should deliver fireworks in Abu Dhabi.

Calvin Kattar vs Dan Ige

Calvin Kattar is the 6th ranked featherweight in the UFC. The 32-year old known as the Boston Finisher fought for organizations like Elite XC, Combat Zone, and CES MMA among others, before coming over to the UFC. He is 5-2 inside the UFC octagon and has a record of 21-4 with 11 knockouts and 2 wins via submission. Kattar stands 5-11 tall and has a reach of 72 inches while fighting out of the orthodox stance.

Dan Ige is the 10th ranked featherweight in the UFC. This seven-year veteran has fought under LFC, Pancrase, RFA, and Titan FC before joining the UFC via Dana White’s Contender Series. 50K lost his UFC debut but has picked up six straight wins since then. His record stands at 14-2 with 3 knockouts and five wins via submission. Ige is an orthodox fighter who stands 5-7 tall with a reach of 71 inches.

Kattar is a volume striker but he also absorbs a lot of damage. He has been outstruck in four out of his seven UFC bouts but he’s okay with being hit for as long as he can land his big shots. Kattar has good power and has never been knocked out. Ige is also a very good striker who’s outstruck five out of his seven UFC opponents. 50K also has a decent grappling game which he mixes well with his striking. However, he can be easily countered when he moves into the pocket and that leaves the opportunity for the Boston Finisher to take over this fight. I think Kattar wins this fight with his punching power and ability to counter Ige.

Prediction: Calvin Kattar (-307)

Tim Elliott vs Ryant Benoit

Tim Elliott is the former Titan FC flyweight champion who is in his second tour of duty with the UFC. The 33-year old from Wichita in Kansas is the 13th ranked flyweight in the UFC. He challenged for the UFC belt in his maiden octagon appearance but lost to Demetrious Johnson by decision. He has been 2-4 since then and has a record of 15-11 with three knockouts and six submission wins. Elliott is a southpaw who stands 5-7 tall with a reach of 66 inches.

Ryan Benoit is the 15th ranked flyweight in the UFC. The 30-year old from San Diego fought for Shark Fights and MFC before joining the UFC. He is 4-5 inside the octagon, alternating between a loss and a win during that period. Benoit is 10-8 with 8 knockouts and one submission victory. He is an orthodox fighter who stands 5-5 tall with a reach of 68 inches.

Elliott is an awkward striker. He bounces around and switches stances throughout the fight He is most effective on the ground where he averages more than four takedowns per 15 minutes. He’s recorded at least one takedown in 11 out of his 12 UFC bouts. Benoit has been outstruck in four out of his seven UFC bouts but he has plenty of pop in his punches. But while he’s okay on his feet, Benoit has struggled with his takedown defense. He’s been taken down in five out of his last seven bouts and has been downed 14 times in his last four bouts. Benoit’s weakness plays to Elliott’s strength and that will be the difference here. I think Elliott takes this fight to the ground and dominate from there.

Prediction: Tim Elliott (-127)

Jimmie Rivera vs Cody Stamann

Jimmie Rivera is the former King of the Cage bantamweight champion who also had stints with Bellator, WSOF, and CFFC. The 31-year old from Ramsey in New Jersey is the 9th ranked bantamweight in the UFC. Rivera also appeared in the 14th installment of The Ultimate Fighter but lost in the opening round. He has a record of 22-4 with two knockouts and four wins via submission but is just 1-3 in his last four bouts. El Terror stands 5-4 tall and has a reach of 68 inches and fights out of the orthodox stance. This is Rivera’s fight since dropping a decision to newly crowned UFC bantamweight king Petr Yan in June 2019.

Cody Stamann is the 10th ranked bantamweight in the UFC. This 30-year old from Grand Rapids in Michigan is a former NCAA Division II wrestler. He is the former TXC featherweight champion and MFL bantamweight champion. Stamann has lost just once in seven UFC bouts with five wins and a draw. His overall record is 19-2 with six knockouts and two wins via submission. Stamann is 5-6 tall but has a reach of only 64 inches and is an orthodox fighter.

Rivera is primarily a striker. He uses footwork and angles to land his shots. He uses leg kicks to avoid damage when opponents look to pressure him. He doesn’t like to grapple as he’s landed just two takedowns in nine UFC bouts. However, he doesn’t get taken down easily too, as only Petr Yan has been able to put him down ( once) during that period. Stamann is the opposite of Rivera. He averages over 3 takedowns per 15 minutes. The Spartan backs up his foes but doesn’t like to throw the first strike. Stamann can easily be backed up and outpointed against the fence and that’s what Rivera will do here.

Prediction: Jimmie Rivera (-137)

Molly McCann vs Talia Santos

Molly McCann is a former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship flyweight queen who is also the 15th ranked flyweight in the UFC. McCann is 30-years of age and from England. She stands 5-4 tall with a reach of 62 inches while fighting out of the orthodox stance. This former SNA flyweight champion lost her UFC debut but has picked up three straight wins. She has a record of 10-2 with four knockouts. McCann is an orthodox fighter who stands 5-4 tall with a reach of 62 inches.

Talia Santos fought mainly for AFC before she was discovered in the Contender Series. This 27-year old from Brazil has a record of 15-1 with 10 knockouts and one win via submission. Santos lost via split decision to Mara Romero Borella in her UFC debut last February 2019 and has not fought since that defeat. Santos stands 5-5 tall with a reach of 68 inches and is an orthodox fighter.

McCann can stand and trade with her opponents and she can also land takedowns. She is a volume striker who has landed at least 100 strikes in each of her last three bouts but also averages 2.59 takedowns per 15 minutes. On her feet, she can take damage and still fight back. McCann has never been knocked out. Santos has real knockout power and looks like she has some good grappling. She nearly recorded a submission in her UFC debut but when she was taken down, she didn’t fight back. McCann’s output on the feet will beat Santos striking. Her takedowns will be a problem for Santos as well. However I think of it, I have McCann winning.

Prediction: Molly McCann (-115)

Abdul Razak Alhassan vs Mounir Lazzez

Abdul Razak Alhassan is a veteran who fought for LFC and Bellator before joining the UFC in 2016. He is 4-1 inside the octagon and has picked up two Performance of the Night bonuses during his UFC tenure. Alhassan has a record of 10-1 with all of his wins coming via knockouts. He is 5-10 tall with a reach of 73 inches and is an orthodox fighter. He has not fought since September 2018 due to a legal issue.

Mounir Lazzez fought for Dubai FC and Brave FC among several Dubai promotions before joining the UFC recently. The 23-year old from Tunisia stands 6-1 tall with an undisclosed reach. He has a record of 9-1 with eight knockouts and is a former Desert Force welterweight champion. This is his first UFC bout for the first-ever Arab-based fighter signed by the UFC.

Alhassan likes to stalk his foes before firing away with his big shots. He’s knocked out 10 out of 11 opponents and he’s done so in the first round. He’s gone past round one just once and he lost that fight via split decision. Lazzez is also a knockout artist so this should be fun. He has fast and accurate hands and utilizes leg kicks. However, he likes to drop his hands which is a no-no against someone who has one-punch KO power like Alhassan. This could go either way, really. Whoever lands first wins this. I think it’s going to be Alhassan who is the faster starter between these two.

Prediction: Abdul Razak Alhassan (-340)

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