Russian prospect Zelim Imadaev (8-1, 8 KOs) will meet welterweight veteran Danny Roberts (16-5, 7 KOs, 5 SUBs) at UFC on ESPN+ 21 on Saturday, November 9, 2019 at the CSKA Arena in Moscow, Russia. The card streams live on ESPN+ starting 2pm ET.
Zelim Imadaev’s UFC debut resulted in his first pro loss. This Saturday, he’ll have the chance to bounce back in his hometown of Russia when he meets Danny Roberts, a veteran of nine UFC fights.
Signed as an 8-0 prospect with eight knockouts, Imadaev suffered a majority decision loss to Max Griffin at UFC 236 this past April. To be honest, the bout could have gone either way - Imadaev had a point taken from him for grabbing the fence in the first round, and actually was able to turn the tide in the second. Had he not gotten a point deducted, he probably would have won the matchup.
Roberts looks like a bounce-back opponent opponent for the 24-year old Imadaev. Traveling from the UK to Moscow, “Hot Chocolate” will look to rebound from a two-fight winning streak where he was finished by Claudio da Silva and Michel Pereira. The Englishman projects to be no more than a fringe fighter at best, as he’s only managed wins against middle class opponents and has lost to anyone remotely close to being a ranked fighter.
The guy to watch here is Imadaev, who the UFC has high hopes for. The UFC odds at BookMaker.eu opened with the Russian as a clear favorite in this home matchup, but let’s break down the stats and get inside your best betting picks. Remember live UFC betting at the online sportsbook is available to make bets any time during the fight with lines updated in real time.
UFC Odds at BookMaker.eu
Zelim Imadaev -213
Danny Roberts +175
Fight goes/doesn’t go to decision: +145 / -185
Significant Striking Stats
Significant strikes landed per minute: Imadaev - / Roberts 3.42
Striking accuracy: Imadaev - / Roberts 42%
Strikes absorbed per minute: Imadaev - / Roberts 3.1
Striking defense: Imadaev - / Roberts 55%
Grappling Stats
Takedown average: Imadaev - / Roberts 0
Takedown accuracy: Imadaev - / Roberts -
Takedown defense: Imadaev - / Roberts 54%
Submission average: Imadaev - / Roberts 0.42
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Imadaev has a ways to go before he hits his prime, but at just 23 years old he already has knockout power for the division. That’s a great place to start, but it’s clear that he could improve his striking defense and cardio. Like so many of his Russian UFC counterparts, Imadaev has a strong wrestling game, but the fact he was taken down so many times by Max Griffin suggests that he’ll have an adjustment period applying it inside the octagon. His ceiling seems pretty high, but these are the types of he needs to win to prove that he’s got a bright future.
Fighters like Roberts are a dime a dozen. He obviously has a place in the UFC, but he’s nothing more than a midcard fighter. Still, the fact that he consistently puts on fun fights gives him some staying power. The 32-year old is a solid offensive striker, but there is nothing that stands out about his game. He hits hard, but isn’t really a knockout threat. He can threaten with submissions, but doesn’t have the wrestling to press the issue.
This is a dangerous fight for Imadaev, as Roberts clearly has more experience at the UFC level. Talent isn’t enough inside the octagon, especially your opponent is still within his athletic prime. Roberts isn’t a fighter you can just truck over, so Imadaev will have to show some improvements to come out on top.
UFC Odds Pick: Imadaev to win at -213
This is the Russian’s fight to lose. If Roberts had some sort of elite ability, we’d be far more apt to pick him against an inexperienced prospect. But on paper, Imadaev simply has far more tools to work with. We’d advise against picking victory prop or decision, as we just don’t know what to expect from Imadaev in his sophomore outing.
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