We return to Fight Island this weekend for the first of two massive Pay-Per View cards over the next week. In the main event Jan Blachowicz looks to defend his Light Heavyweight title against the rampaging Glover Teixeira.
In the co-main, former Bantamweight title holder Petr Yan faces off against Cory Sandhagen for an interim title and Khamzat Chimaev returns to the Octagon after a horror spell with Covid as he faces China’s Li Jingliang. It would also be remiss not to mention Dan Hooker taking on Russian sensation Islam Makhachev on short notice in what should be an enthralling card. All that and more from Abu Dhabi this weekend.
Remember, our MMA expert Ben Talintyre has weekly UFC previews for all of the Fight Night and pay per view event, so be sure to check out out UFC Tips page for regular updates!
UFC 267 Betting Tips
Jan Blachowicz vs Glover Teixeira
Jan Blachowicz will be making his second title defense here, after outpointing Israel Adesanya at UFC 259. Blachowicz is currently on a five-fight winning streak where in four of those fights, he banked as an underdog. His opponent Glover Teixeira has won five in a row, with the 38-year-old also cashing in as an underdog in many of those fights. The 41-year-old will be a scary thought on the mat for the Polish powerhouse as I believe that if Teixeira can get this to the ground, he will finish Blachowicz. However, to be frank I do not believe that he will be able to get it there before being caught with something nasty by the Pole. Blachowicz packs an immense punch, one that 41-year-old Glover won’t be able to take. I am backing Blachowicz to get a big win here by knockout and I like the odds around him to do it in the opening exchanges.
Value: In R1 ($5.00)
Blachowicz by KO/TKO
$2.00
Petr Yan vs Cory Sandhagen
This truly is a fascinating fight as both men are at their physical peak. Petr Yan lost his belt to Aljamain Sterling after an illegal knee saw him disqualified in his last fight, while Cory Sandhagen comes into this fight off a loss, despite my personal belief being that he won the fight.
There isn’t any juice in the price of either fighter here so I am inclined to stay out. Yan showcased his strong wrestling and sharp boxing against Sterling as well as his ability to stick to his gameplan. Sandhagen has a strong advantage in output here and has a solid gas tank.
Will he bank enough rounds to get the win though? I really do not know and we aren’t getting enough of a price for me to want to find out. If I was to suggest a bet it would be a spec on Sandhagen by decision but I will be staying out as there are too many variables.
No Bet
Shamil Gamzatov vs Michal Oleksiejczuk
Shamin Gamzatov comes into this fight a perfect 14-0. In his UFC debut he narrowly was able to register a decision win over Klidson Abreu back in 2019. His opponent Michal Oleksiejczuk was flying high after securing big stoppage wins over Gian Villante and Gadzhimurad Antigulov but his last three have been far from impressive, being submitted twice and registering a close split decision victory.
While I don’t see either man as a top contender now or likely in the future, Oleksiejczuk’s relentless pressure should be enough to get the win here. The Pole may be one dimensional but he has the gas tank to put it to Gamzatov, who in the past has shown a tendency to gas. I like the Pole to cause a minor upset here.
Michal Oleksiejczuk
$2.27
