Veteran heavyweight Andrei “The Pit Bull” Arlovski (27-16, 17 KOs, 3 SUBs) meets Shamil “Abrek” Abdurakhimov (18-4, 8 KOs, 4 SUBs) at UFC Fight Night 136 on Saturday, September 15, 2018 at the Olimpiysky Arena in Moscow, Russia. The card airs live on UFC Fight Pass at 2pm ET.
The end is nigh for Andrei Arlovski. The native of Belarus has been in the pro MMA game for 20 years, at one point reigning as the UFC heavyweight champion. These days, it’s been harder to watch The Pit Bull in action - not only is he still fighting killers, but he’s squaring up against Father Time each time he does so.
But that doesn’t mean he’s completely done yet. After a five-fight losing streak that had many calling for his retirement, Arlovski recently won two in a row, beating prospect Junior Albini and fellow veteran Stefan Struve. While he most recently dropped a decision to Tai Tuivasa, he did a lot better than most people expected in a competitive scrap.
This Saturday, he’ll meet Russia’s Shamil Abdurakhimov on the main card of UFC Fight Night 136. The Dagestani fighter has compiled a 3-2 octagon record since getting called up from M-1, but has yet to earn a signature win for the promotion. Beating Arlovski doesn’t mean what it used to, but it’d easily be the biggest win of “Abrek’s” career.
It’s always tricky betting on an Arlovski scrap, since his chin is so unreliable, but let’s break down the UFC odds at BookMaker.eu and get to your best options.
UFC Fight Night 136 Betting at BookMaker.eu
Andrei Arlovski +110
Shamil Abdurakhimov -134
Fight goes/doesn’t go to decision: -130 / -110
Striking Stats
Significant strikes landed per minute: Arlovski 3.24 / Abdurakhimov 2.52
Accuracy: Arlovski 42.84% / Abdurakhimov 45.72%
Significant strikes absorbed per minute: Arlovski 2.65 / Abdurakhimov 2.52
Defense: Arlovski 57.91% / Abdurakhimov 58.75%
Grappling Stats
Takedown average: Arlovski 0.53 / Abdurakhimov 1.36
Takedown accuracy: Arlovski 34.62% / Abdurakhimov 22.73%
Takedowns defended: Arlovski 81.25% / Abdurakhimov 77.78%
Submission average: Arlovski 0.35 / Abdurakhimov 0.27
Bet on Arlovski vs. Abdurakhimov Odds
On paper, this is a typical striker vs. grappler affair. Abrek hails from Dagestan, which produces elite wrestlers with assembly line efficiency, but the 36-year old falls quite a bit short in that area when compared to luminaries such as Khabib Nurmagomedov or Zabit Magomedsharipov. Yet despite the middling takedown stats, Abrek can still be effective in making fights extremely ugly.
An experience sanda practitioner, Abrek has effective striking, mainly using counterstrikes to set up his takedowns. While he has yet to knock out a UFC opponent, you’ve got to remember that Arlovski’s chin is pretty much shattered at this point. Still, it wouldn’t be a good idea to try and strike with a much more technical boxer.
Even at 39, Arlovski is still one of the more agile heavyweights in the UFC. Though he’s not the same dude that used to throw flying knees, sticking and moving is not a problem. In fact, his coaches at ATT have developed an effective, conservative style for the Pit Bull: 1-2s, punctuated with whipping leg kicks. Combined with solid takedown defense, Arlovski is still a stern test for mid-tier guys like Abdurakhimov.
Expect to see Abdurakhimov try and press Arlovski into the cage, where he’ll attempt to drag this fight to the mat. His penchant for catching kicks and exploding into takedowns could cause the former champ to think twice, and Arlovski could be in trouble if he trapped against the chain link for too long.
UFC Fight Night 136 Pick: Arlovski to win at +110
Though there’s always the risk that Arlovski gets laid out with a heavy hit, Abdurakhimov isn’t an established threat with his striking. The Russian’s best path to victory is in the clinch and grappling exchanges, but Arlovski has always been excellent at staying on his feet and in open space. Expect Arlovski to control the standup with his smooth jab, pepper away with kicks and take the fight by decision.
Bet on UFC 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 Fight Night 136 takes place on Saturday, September 15, 2018 at the Olimpiysky Arena in Moscow, Russia. The card airs live on UFC Fight Pass at 2pm ET.
