Nazim Sadykhov vs. Viacheslav Borshchev OddsSadykhov Odds-155Borshchev Odds+130Over/Under2.5 rounds (-145 / +115)VenueMadison Square Garden in New York CityTime8 p.m. ETTVESPNewsOdds as of Saturday evening and via Caesars. Sign up using our Caesars Sportsbook promo code to make a UFC 295 wager.
The start of Saturday's ESPNews-televised prelims for UFC 295 should get a nice crowd pop when Serra-Longo Fight Team member Nazim Sadykhov meets fellow lightweight Viacheslav Borshchev.
Sadykhov hasn't lost since his pro debut 10 fights ago, and he now looks for another solid win when he meets Borshchev, who's 2-2 under the UFC banner.
Here's a look at the UFC 295 odds and my Sadykhov vs. Borshchev prediction.
Tale of the TapeSadykhovBorshchevRecord9-17-3Avg. Fight Time9:359:22Height5'10"5'11"Weight155.6 pounds154.8 poundsReach69 inches69 inchesStanceSouthpawOrthodoxDate of birth5/16/19941/8/1992Sig Strikes Per Minute4.354.63SS Accuracy52W%SS Absorbed Per Minute3.73.4SS Defense56V%Take Down Avg0.520.00TD Acc100%0%TD Def755%Submission Avg0.50.0
While I lean toward the underdog Borshchev in this bout, make sure you get at least +125 to bet on "Slava Claus." That wasn't the case early in the week, but as of fight day, he's now available at up to +135.
Borshchev is a better striker than Sadykhov and the vastly superior boxer in this matchup, but he has shown porous takedown defense (35%) against similarly skilled opponents.
While Borschev has also shown improved scrambling in recent fights 鈥?you don't get taken down 20 times in consecutive bouts without getting up a whole bunch, too 鈥?all of that grappling does tire him out, leaving him gassed in the third round.
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Borschev is also much more of a technical striker and attritional finisher 鈥?one who excels at hitting the body rather than putting away opponents with a singular strike.
As a result, he may struggle to break Sadykov's pressure and fight in much tighter positions than the distance striking he desires.
And if his opponent doesn't oblige his range, it's difficult for Borshchev to find the fluidity of his striking game.
Sadykhov vs. Borshchev Pick
Sadykhov's record is a bit sketchy.
He was losing minutes to Evan Elder until a third-round cut stoppage, and he lost a dominant round to Terrance McKinney before McKinney, very predictably, gassed out and tapped out at the six-minute mark.
Borschev won't wilt nearly as quickly, but Sadykov does need to force the issue and wrestle proactively, which he isn't necessarily reliable to do.
Initially, this fight was a pass, but thanks to the odds shift, we have a playable +125. In fact, DraftKings has market-best +136 odds 鈥?with +125 at most other major sportsbooks 鈥?as of fight time. I took the +135 at PointsBet earlier in the day for this preview.
The Pick: Viacheslav Borschev (+135 at PointsBet)
