Zabit Magomedsharipov is favored against Jeremy Stephens at UFC 235 on Saturday, March 2 in Paradise, Nevada. This event is one of four fights on the ESPN portion of the preliminary card. Stephens is 28-15 in his career, while Magomedsharipov is 16-1 in his career. There are a total of five fights on the main pay-per-view card at UFC 235, with the headliner a bout between Jon Jones and Anthony Smith. There are also a total of eight fights on the preliminary card with four on ESPN and four on UFC Fight Pass. Let’s look at the bout between Stephens and Magomedsharipov and UFC picks.
Bet on UFC at BookMaker.eu
Jeremy Stephens (28-15, 15-14 UFC)
Stephens came into the UFC with a record of 12-1 and he has 15 wins and 14 losses in the UFC. In his last five fights, he has three wins and two losses. He defeated Gilbert Melendez by unanimous decision, Doo Ho Choi by TKO, and Josh Emmett by KO; while losing to Renato Moicano by split decision and José Aldo by TKO. Stephens has been a pro since 2005 and has 18 wins by TKO/KO and three by submission. He has 13 first round finishes.
Stephens said this to sherdog.com about his upcoming fight this Saturday, “I declare to rise victorious again, I welcome the challenge this fight brings and I’m confident in these challenges I’ll overcome in a fantastic performance.”
Zabit Magomedsharipov (16-1, 4-0 UFC)
Magomedsharipov came into the UFC with a record of 12-1 and he has four wins and no losses in the UFC. He defeated Mike Santiago by submission, Sheymon Moraes by submission, Kyle Bochniak by unanimous decision, and Brandon Davis by submission. Magomedsharipov’s only loss in his career was against Igor Egorov by submission in April of 2013. Magomedsharipov has been a pro since 2012 and has six wins by TKO/KO and seven by submission. He has three first round finishes.
Striking Stats
Strikes landed per minute: Stephens 3.10 / Magomedsharipov 4.49
Accuracy: Stephens 40% / Magomedsharipov 52%
Strikes absorbed per minute: Stephens 2.76/ Magomedsharipov 2.35
Defense: Stephens 59% / Magomedsharipov 66%
Grappling Stats
Takedown average: Stephens 1.16/ Magomedsharipov 7.24
Accuracy: Stephens 36% / Magomedsharipov 63%
Takedowns defended: Stephens 64% / Magomedsharipov 77%
Submission average: Stephens 0.4 / Magomedsharipov 1.3
UFC Picks
Stephens has been struggling lately in the UFC with his latest loss against Jose Aldo in July of last year. He has fought many times in the UFC and has more experience, but there is no question he badly needs this win. Magomedsharipov is undefeated in the UFC and is a solid favorite to defeat Stephens, but the question I have in this one is whether or not Magomedsharipov is really good enough to be this type of favorite. He hasn’t really fought that much top competition and I think the value is on Stephens at this price. I am going to go with the underdog Stephens to get the win by knockout and with the rounds going under the total.
UFC 235 takes place T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada on Saturday, March 2, with five fights on the main pay-per-view card, headlined by Jon Jones vs. Anthony Smith, and eight preliminary bouts, with four on ESPN and four on UFC Fight Pass.
Main Card (Pay-Per-View)
Light Heavyweight - Jon Jones -1450 vs. Anthony Smith
Welterweight - Tyron Woodley -185 vs. Kamaru Usman
Welterweight - Ben Askren -270 vs. Robbie Lawler
Women's Strawweight - Weili Zhang -135 vs. Tecia Torres
Bantamweight - Cody Garbrandt -175 vs. Pedro Munhoz
Preliminary Card (ESPN)
Featherweight - Zabit Magomedsharipov -243 vs. Jeremy Stephens
Light Heavyweight - Johnny Walker -135 vs. Misha Cirkunov
Bantamweight - Cody Stamann -180 vs. Alejandro Pérez
Welterweight - Mickey Gall -320 vs. Diego Sanchez
Early Preliminary Card (UFC Fight Pass)
Middleweight - Edmen Shahbazyan -124 vs. Charles Byrd
Women's Bantamweight - Macy Chiasson -425 vs. Gina Mazany
Bantamweight - Marlon Vera -230 vs. Frankie Saenz
Women's Strawweight - Polyana Viana -350 vs. Hannah Cifers
How to Bet
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.
