Welterweight veterans Bryan Barberena (14-6, 10 KOs, 2 SUBs) and Randy Brown (10-3, 5 KOs, 3 SUBs) will meet at UFC on ESPN+ 12 on Saturday, June 22, 2109 at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.
When it comes to action, people tend to forget about guys like Bryan Barberena and Randy Brown. These guys aren’t big names, but they’re known to the MMA community as guys that are fun and fight hard. You don’t have to be a contender to put on great fights.
Take Bryan Barberena: he made a name for himself by handing Sage Northcutt his first loss. He followed that up by toughing out a win over the previously undefeated Warlley Alves. Pretty much every fight since has been one of the better fights of the card. And despite his a mediocre 5-4 UFC record, his losses have come against Chad Laprise, Vicente Luque, Colby Covington and Leon Edwards - guys ranging from very good to title contenders.
Then there’s Randy Brown, who is 4-3 inside the octagon. While he hasn’t faced the same caliber of competition, “Rude Boy” nonetheless has had some excellent moments while notching finishes of Erick Montano and Brian Camozzi. He’s lost to Niko Price and Belal Muhammad recently, but again, those are some solid dudes.
Now, they’re squaring off this Saturday in what should be the second most-action packed scrap on a card that features The Korean Zombie. That’s some high expectations for some fireworks. Let’s take a look at the UFC Odds at BookMaker.eu and break down your best betting options. Live UFC betting is available to hedge your bets between rounds.
UFC Odds at BookMaker.eu
Bryan Barberena -295
Randy Brown +221
Fight goes/doesn’t go to decision: -120 / -110
Significant Striking Stats
Landed per minute: Barberena 5.9 / Brown 2.89
Accuracy: Barberena 48% / Brown 44%
Absorbed per minute: Barberena 4.76 / Brown 2.37
Defense: Barberena 44% / Brown 55%
Grappling Stats
Takedown average: Barberena 0.29 / Brown 0.99
Takedown accuracy: Barberena 33% / Brown 41%
Takedown defense: Barberena 47% / Brown 77%
Submission average: Barberena 0.29 / Brown 0.6
Bet this UFC fight at BookMaker.eu
Barberena is one of those guys who makes up for a lack in physical ability with supreme grit. The 30-year old isn’t very fast or athletic, but he might be one of the toughest SOBs in a loaded weight class. In his last fight, he got into an all-out brawl with a knockout artist in Vicente Luque and pushed him to the brink. While Barberena finally succumbed to blows seconds before the fight ended, he proved that anybody looking to take him out pretty much needs to come with a tank.
Despite being an absolute unit at 6’3”, the ripped Brown didn’t start off as the athletic striker you’d expect. The 28-year old has slowly but steadily evolved though, adding important tools to his game. His jab is rounding into form, and that in turn has improved his confidence inside the cage. Physically, Brown fits the profile of a top-15 fighter - the question is whether he can keep growing. He’s got what he needs: a good gas tank, solid wrestling and rangy striking.
Barberena opened as a modest favorite, and we agree as he’s much more experienced against better competition. Brown has had some tough scraps, but “Bam Bam” forces you into a woodchipper and then takes you into ocean - that’s what makes him so fun. Brown might be able to lay some heavy leather on him, but Barberena is going to keep coming forward. The big question here is whether Rude Boy can handle that.
UFC Odds Picks: Barberena to win at -64
This is one of those fights where the intangibles outweigh the attributes. Based on the eye test, Brown should have this. But Barberena is just too damn tough and experienced - he should be able to turn the tide and eke out a decision victory. The best price we found was at SportBet, which offers Barberena at -264 - other online sportsbook go up to -303 for a straight bet.
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