Lightweight veteran Bobby Green (24-8, 8 KOs, 9 SUBs) will meet prospect Drakkar Klose (9-1, 4 KOs) at UFC on FOX 31 on Saturday, December 15, 2018 at the Wisconsin Entertainment and Sports Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The card airs live on FOX starting 8pm EST.
What happened to Bobby Green? When he was brought over from Strikeforce, the California native won his first four UFC fights, signalling that a new player had entered a loaded 155-pound class. But after a win over Josh Thomson, Green went winless in four straight fights, dropping bouts to Edson Barboza, Dustin Poirier and Rashid Magomedov before earning a draw against Lando Vannata.
Green finally got back into the win column this past January with a decision win over Erik Koch, but the damage has been done: Green is an afterthought at lightweight - a talented yet inconsistent fighter. This Saturday, he’ll play the gatekeeper role for an up-and-coming prospect in Drakkar Klose.
Klose is 3-1 in the UFC, but two of those wins came against Marc Diakiese and Vannata - solid prospects in their own right. It’s still tough to tell exactly how Klose stacks up in a loaded weight class, but losing to the struggling Green would be a huge setback.
Let’s take a look at the UFC odds at BookMaker.eu and break down the matchup along with your best betting options. Live round-by-round betting is also available during fight night to hedge your plays.
UFC on FOX 31 Betting at BookMaker.eu
Bobby Green +236
Drakkar Klose -311
Significant striking stats
Landed per minute: Green 5.01 / Klose 3.35
Accuracy: Green 48% / Klose 51%
Absorbed per minute: Green 4.56 / Klose 2.63
Defense: 63% / Klose 63%
Grappling stats
Takedown average: Green 0.81 / Klose 2
Takedown accuracy: Green 24% / Klose 40%
Takedown defense: Green 71% / Klose 69%
Submission average: Green 0.14 / Klose 0
Bet this fight at BookMaker.eu
Green’s three fight losing streak raised some serious questions, as his tentativeness made you wonder if he was inside his own head. But his 2017 encounter with Vannata seemed to show that the old slugger was back, as the wild back and forth affair was one of the better fights of the year. The confidence seemed to carry over into his bout with Koch, as Green got into a groove and started trash talking a bit too.
The stats tell the story here: Green lands over five strikes a minute and eats over four in return. He’s a tough dude with fast hands, and like many boxer he needs to get into a rhythm. Whether Klose will afford him the opportunity is the question.
Klose is a wrestler by trade, and that’s a result of his training at The MMA lab. If he can’t force the takedown, Klose is fine pressing his opponents into the cage for some wall-and-maul, and his dirty boxing in the clinch can be a huge drain. However, he was baffled by the striking of David Teymur, who played a stick-and-move game that frustrated Klose to no end. That could be a major problem against Green.
Bet Online: Klose to win at -311
While it’s been nice to see Green get his groove back, Klose isn’t the best matchup for him. Green can be stifled by a pressure game, and that’s exactly the type of matchup that Klose thrives in creating. If Green had more knockout power, we’d like his chances a lot more, but at these odds we lean towards the grinder.
UFC Odds Pick: Fight goes to decision
While Green has a solid finishing ratio that includes a good number of knockouts and subs, Klose has never been tapped nor stopped by strikes. Plus, Green’s last three fights have gone to decision, and Klose has yet to see a fight end early in the UFC.
UFC on FOX 31 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 on FOX 31 takes place on Saturday, December 15, 2018 at the Wisconsin Entertainment and Sports Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The card airs live on FOX starting 8pm EST.
