We have a great MMA weekend coming up because the UFC is returning to the U.K. this weekend. Headlining UFC London are two ranked heavyweights Alexander Volkov and Tom Aspinall.
This entire card holds a lot of value, so let me share with you some of my favorite picks. Read below for my breakdowns for Nikita Krylov vs. Paul Craig and Alexander Volkov vs. Tom Aspinall.
Nikita Krylov vs. Paul Craig
UFC Light Heavyweight Bout
Saturday, March 19, 2022 – 02:50 PM EDT at O2 Arena
Nikita Krylov
Nikita “the Miner” Krylov is a Ukrainian mixed martial artist currently ranked #9 in the UFC Light Heavyweight division. Krylov stands with a current professional record of 27 wins (11 T/KO, 15 submissions, 1 decision) and 8 losses (1 T/KO, 5 submissions, 2 decisions).
Krylov is a well-rounded and durable fighter that has only seen the scorecards 3 times out of his 35 total bouts. Although Krylov is talented on the ground and has over 10 submission victories, he still often will put himself in risky situations and will give up positions against elite submission artists.
Paul Craig
Paul “Bearjew” Craig is a Scottish mixed martial artist currently ranked #11 in the UFC Light Heavyweight division. Bearjew stands with a professional record of 15 wins (3 T/KO, 12 submissions) and 4 losses (3 T/KO, 1 submission).
Craig is a submission artist. His striking has evolved over time to help assist his transitions into his grappling, and he does it quite well - as seen in his last bout against knockout artist Jamahal Hill.
Prediction
The current UFC Odds for this matchup are: Nikita Krylov -185 and Paul Craig +160 at your top sportsbooks from Bookmakers Review.
This is a fight that should mainly be on the ground - not a sit-back and relax-type grappling but one that can potentially finish early since both of these men rarely see the scorecards.
Standing, I do not think Craig can finish Krylov. The Miner is durable and is not afraid to change levels. However, the reason why I want to side with Craig is because of his confidence and his overall fight IQ.
Get Involved: BMR Community
Craig knows his weapons are on the ground so why not build your striking enough to help you get to where you want to be - the ground. Krylov can often make mistakes on the ground and that would be the worst thing to do against Bearjew.
For me, Craig’s striking has evolved enough to out-strike Jamahal Hill, bring him to the ground, and defeat him in a little under two minutes in the first round. Craig is 4-0-1 in his last 5 UFC bouts and I see him continuing his streak this weekend.
UFC Pick: Paul Craig ML (+160) at BetOnline (Visit our BetOnline Review)
Alexander Volkov vs. Tom Aspinall
UFC Heavyweight Bout - Main Event
Saturday, March 19, 2022 – 06:15 PM EDT at O2 Arena
Alexander Volkov
Alexander “Drago” Volkov is a Russian mixed martial artist currently ranked #6 in the UFC Heavyweight division. He stands with a professional record of 34 wins (22 T/KO, 3 submissions, 9 decisions) and 9 losses (2 T/KO, 2 submissions, 5 decisions).
Drago is definitely a powerful striker that’s able to utilize his long punches and kicks well to maintain his distance. He has about an average output in striking, and it’s difficult to bring him to the ground. But once there, he will most likely struggle, especially against a powerful submission artist or wrestler.
Tom Aspinall
Tom Aspinall is an English mixed martial artist currently ranked #11 in the UFC Heavyweight division. He stands with a professional record of 11 wins (9 T/KO, 2 submissions) and 2 losses (1 submission and 1 DQ - illegal downward elbow).
Aspinall is an exceptional, well-rounded heavyweight. He is very light on his feet and is very agile and sharp with his striking. Not only is he very dangerous standing, but he’s dangerous on the ground as well.
Prediction
The UFC Odds for this matchup are: Alexander Volkov +105 and Tom Aspinall -125.
This is definitely going to be an amazing main event, not only because this bout is in London, but because we have Tom Aspinall headlining against Alexander Volkov. At some of your top sportsbooks, Aspinall actually opened up as the dog - so you can see clearly where the public is leaning for Saturday.
I am a part of that public - it’s very hard to fade Aspinall in this one.
Tom Aspinall is a heavyweight that moves around the cage like a middleweight. He has great endurance, sharp striking, sharp fight IQ, he’s dangerous on the ground; he is overall the “full package”.
JOIN NOW: $1,000 BMR 12-Week All Sports Challenge
Don’t get me wrong, Volkov is a beast. However, lately, he has been hot and cold and seems to be having a hard time finding his footing. His striking is his strong point for sure. One hit is all he needs to put you down.
Volkov also has a strong takedown defense, but as seen against strong grapplers, he will fail. For example, against Curtis Blaydes, Volkov was brought to the mat 14 times.
I can see Aspinall finishing this fight both standing or on the ground, honestly. The one thing stopping me from taking any MMA Props is Volkov has not been knocked out since 2018 against Derrick Lewis and has not lost by submission since 2010 against Maxim Grishin in M-1 Selection.
Plus, the price on Aspinall is not bad…yet. I’m taking Tom Aspinall to win as my UFC Pick.
UFC Pick: Tom Aspinall ML (-125) at BetOnline (Visit our BetOnline Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
