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UFC Fight Night 134: Volkan vs. Shogun
UFC Fight Night 134 takes place on Sunday, July 22, 2018 in Hamburg, Germany. Light heavyweight contender Volkan Oezdemir (15-2, 11 KOs, 1 SUB) will meet MMA legend Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (25-10, 20 KOs, 1 SUB) in the main event. The card airs live on FS1. Bet on UFC odds and get the latest previews, predictions and picks at BookMaker.eu.
Volkan Oezdemir learned quickly that there were levels to this. Light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier gave him a hard lesson in rising too fast, humbling the Swede and taking him out in just two rounds. But let’s not write off “No Time” just yet. He took his shot and airballed, but he’s just 28 in a division that’s rapidly aging. There’s a solid chance that he might be back in a title shot.
In contrast, his main event opponent, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua is a guy that’s nearing the end of a Hall of Fame career. While the Brazilian has won three straight coming into the matchup, the Shogun that was legally assaulting fighters in Pride is just a dot in the rearview mirror. Shogun still has some scrap left in him, but we’ve also watched him take some serious beatings inside the octagon - and it sure seems like another one is coming his way courtesy of Oezdemir.
The pair squares off in the main event of UFC Fight Night 134 in Hamburg, Germany. As is the case with most European cards, the UFC is bringing a ton of fighters from the region.
Also on the main card is a top five light heavyweights in Glover Teixeira and Ilir Latifi. Teixeira has been a perennial contender for years, but Sweden’s Latifi just recently reached contender status. To be honest, Latifi’s ranking seems more a result of a thin division than skill. But if he can beat a established guy like Glover, we’ve got to admit that the stocky fighter is somebody we need to take seriously.
Who else? “Skyscraper” Stefan Struve meets Poland’s Marcin Tybura in a heavyweight tilt, Congo’s Marc Diakiese looks to bounce back from two straight losses against Germany’s Nasrat Haqparast, and undefeated Justin Ledet meets 8-1 Aleksander Rakic.
Take a look at some of the fights below, and log into the sportsbook to see the lines for every fight on the card. Make sure to check in during fight week for in-depth betting previews. We’ve got UFC odds from BookMaker.eu if they’ve been released.
UFC Fight Night 134 Lineup (Subject to Change)
Main Event, Light Heavyweight - Volkan Oezdemir vs. Mauricio Rua
Light Heavyweight - Glover Teixeira vs. Ilir Latifi
Heavyweight - Marcin Tybura vs. Stefan Struve
Lightweight - Nasrat Haqparast vs. Marc Diakiese
Light Heavyweight - Jeremy Kimball vs. Darko Stosic
What to Watch For
Is this Shogun’s last fight? Probably not, but he’s in real danger of taking a major beating from somebody bigger, stronger, faster and younger than him. Oezdemir didn’t get a title shot by luck - he scored a few brutal first-round knockouts during his run at the title. This is a big 205-er who can thump, and Shogun really can’t take too many more hits to the noggin.
But Rua does have a habit of turning fights into bloody grinds. Two decades of experience gives him the ability to bring opponents to his level. And he can still hang with younger mid-tier fighters. Perhaps he can turn back the clock against Oezdemir.
When Ilir Latifi made his UFC debut back in 2013, it’s doubtful anybody expected him to become a title contender. But an 8-2 record inside the octagon has got to be respected. The Swede’s only losses have come against fellow top-5 fighters, and most recently choked out former title challenger Ovince St. Preux. Now he meets the division’s best gatekeeper in Glover Teixeira, a guy with knockout power who can attack on the feet and with his wrestling.
Stay Tuned for Fight Odds and Updates
Make sure to check the fight odds at BookMaker.eu for all your available betting options. For pay-per-view cards, odds usually release early for the bigger fights. In fact, you can bet on some fight odds right now. Odds for the entire card are generally available on Monday of fight week.
And during fight week, keep an eye out for our in-depth betting guides that we post during that time as well! You’ll find detailed analyses for fights, common sense betting picks and underdog specials to help you win some cash before the night’s over.
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