Rising light heavyweight contender Thiago Santos (19-6, 13 KOs, 1 SUB) will meet veteran gatekeeper Jimi Manuwa (17-4, 15 KOs, 1 SUB) at UFC 231 on December 8, 2018 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada. The card airs live on pay-per-view starting 10 p.m. ET following the FS1 prelims.
Thiago Santos finds himself starting the light heavyweight title circuit this Saturday in Toronto. Fresh off a thrilling win over Eryk Anders, the Brazilian bulldozer now meets knockout artist Jimi Manuwa on the main card of UFC 231.
Manuwa is on the lower rung of 205-pounders that rising contenders need to get through to get into the title mix. That’s a group that consists of guys like Glover Teixeira, Ovince St. Preux and Corey Anderson. Once won of the division’s most fearsome knockout artists, the 38-year old has fallen on hard times lately, dropping three of his last five.
Santos has been grinding inside the octagon since 2013, amassing 16 UFC fights. While he’s always been an exciting fighter, his recent 6-1 run has him knocking on the door of the top tier. At 34 years old, “Marreta” is peaking as a fighter. Currently ranked outside of the top 15, Santos could make a huge jump with a win over the No. 6 Manuwa.
The UFC odds at BookMaker.eu opened with Santos as a clear favorite, so let’s break down this fight and see what your best betting options are. Live UFC betting is also available to hedge your plays.
UFC 231 Betting at BookMaker.eu
Jimi Manuwa +172
Thiago Santos -212
Fight goes/doesn’t go to decision: +330 / -490
Significant Striking Stats
Landed per minute: Manuwa 3.34 / Santos 4.89
Accuracy: Manuwa 53% / Santo 50%
Absorbed per minute: Manuwa 3.74 / Santos 2.04
Defense: Manuwa 49% / Santos 62%
Grappling Stats
Takedown average: Manuwa 0.58 / Santos 0.87
Takedown accuracy: Manuwa 21% / Santos 37%
Takedown defense: Manuwa 71% / Santos 65%
Submission average: Manuwa 0.39 / Santos 0.15
Bet this fight online now
Don’t expect much grappling in this one. Neither Manuwa or Santos are very good offensive wrestlers, and they’ve both got solid takedown defense. Not that you were expecting them to roll around though - this is an obvious pairing of big hitters that most likely ends in somebody getting put to sleep.
Manuwa gets it done with a classic boxing style, using good footwork, excellent punching technique and bone-crunching power to put the hurt on his foes. 15 of his 17 career wins have come by way of knockout, and most of those came before the start of the third round. He can hurt you with both hands, coming forward and walking backward, and the Brit can land in volume.
Santos is arguably the best pure kicker in the division - a 205-pound version of Edson Barboza. That gives him far more range, although he requires more space to set up his shots. Even in his mid-30s, the Brazilian is still an excellent athlete, giving him a level of explosiveness that’s hard to match. But he’s also prone to defensive lapses, which have resulted in quick, brutal knockouts.
Bet online: Santos to win at -212
While Manuwa has the tools to beat Santos, they’re meeting on different trajectories right now: Santos has never looked better, while Manuwa is in the worst stretch of his career. There’s always a risk he gets caught with a flash punch, but given how confident he is right now we expect him to walk Manuwa down and crack him something fierce. If you’re feeling really lucky, take Santos to win by KO.
UFC 231 Odds at BookMaker.eu
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook! Real-time spreads, totals, props and money line are all available so start betting with BookMaker today. UFC 231 takes place on December 8, 2018 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada. The card airs live on pay-per-view starting 10 p.m. ET following the FS1 prelims.
