Prediction for the fight Umar Nurmagomedov vs Raoni Barcelos

The Nurmagomedov clan is confidently conquering various UFC divisions, and Umar Nurmagomedov has the best chances to take the lead in this relay race. Right now, standing in his way is Raoni Barcelos, a titled wrestler and jitsurer outside the top 15 of the bantamweight division.

At UFC Fight Night 217, they will meet in a cage to determine the further course of events in the top ten in this weight category. Many consider Umar the unconditional favorite, but on January 15 it will become clear how good he is in the stalls with a world-class wrestler.

• Umar Nurmagomedov vs Raoni Barcelos;
• Umar Nurmagomedov;
• Raoni Barcelos;
• Comparative analysis;
• Game Totals Prediction.

Umar Nurmagomedov vs Raoni Barcelos

Umar Nurmagomedov

Before us is the 11th number of the UFC rating, the world champion in combat sambo, the champion of Russia in mixed martial arts, the champion of the North Caucasus Federal District and Dagestan in Muay Thai, and also the holder of the GFC league title. Umar gained a confident move, goes undefeated as a professional, won 15 victories in a row, which portends a great future for him in the top MMA league in the world. And given that he trains in the Eagles MMA, there is no reason to doubt his rapid progress in the coming years.

Strengths

For many, the Nurmagomedov surname is associated exclusively with wrestling, and indeed Umar has excellent skills on the ground, but that's not all he has. Furious Thai boxing, polished footwork, the ability to work from both stances, as well as a perfect sense of distance with timing, open up all sorts of ways for the Russian to attack. And you can make legends about Nurmagomedov's defense, getting him is an incredibly difficult task.

Weaknesses

It is not easy to talk about the weaknesses of Umar, since there was simply no one to disclose them to. He has not met any titled wrestlers or top strikers, and this is perhaps the only negative - the lack of experience with the top opposition makes it seem like he is impeccable. So, in a future fight, perhaps we will have a chance to see the shortcomings of the Dagestani.

The current form and readiness of the fighter

Nurmagomedov is only 26 years old and, as mentioned above, he does not know defeat in his career, going to a series of 3 victories under the auspices of the UFC. Sergey Morozov was the first to fall under Umar's skating rink, then Brian Kelleher and Nathan Maness. Our athlete is demonstrating the pace of progress in all indicators, it is not possible to find fault with his cardio, speed, or low level of aggression. There is no doubt that Nurmagomedov is the top of the division, which is still underestimated by the leadership of the promotion, and in the next fight he will have a chance to prove his superiority over all the “near-tops”.

Raoni Barcelos

The Brazilian, to match his father, began to engage in wrestling from an early age, which gave its results in the future. He took the first place in the country in the wrestling championship 5 times, became the best in South America twice, won the World Cup, the World Championship, and was the National Champion of Portugal in BJJ. Also, speaking in featherweight, Raoni won the titles of the prestigious Shooto Brazil and RFA leagues. Now Barcelos has a black belt in jiu-jitsu, although it’s hard to say from his record that he is betting on ground finishes.

Strengths

Raoni prefers to act on counterattacks, looking for the perfect moments to inflict damage on the enemy. He knows how to dry fights, minimizing sharp moments, and to enhance his superiority, he can carry out takedowns and take precious points due to control. He has knockout power and the ability to activate ground and pound, but he uses these skills only in cases where the opponent starts to be overly active.

Weaknesses

Perhaps the main disadvantage of Barcelos is his passivity. He has an excellent set of skills, rich experience in amateurs and professionals, a good level of protection at all tiers, but the lack of desire to aggravate the course of meetings, go all-in and work as the first number, often gives his opponents time to develop their own successes. However, no one could finish the Brazilian in the UFC.

The current form and readiness of the fighter

Raoni is 35 years old, and his success in MMA, especially recently, leaves much to be desired. Victoria over Said Nurmagomedov and Khalid Taha gave hope for the Brazilian to rise to the top as soon as possible, but Timur Valiev and Victor Henry interrupted the winning streak of Barcelos, and the triumph over Trevin Jones did not give any effect, because it was a referee's decision. There is no doubt that Raoni has already passed his peak condition, and now his good physicality, along with experience, still play a significant role, because this guy remains dangerous even for more rated opponents.

Comparative analysis

Traditionally, starting with anthropometric indicators, we cannot note the global superiority on the part of Umar - he is only 5 cm taller, and in the arm span the difference comes down to a couple of centimeters. But this is not a reason to believe that in the standing position their clash will be equal, since the ragged pace, changing of standing positions and precise control of the distance from the Russian, along with his endless kicks, will not give the Brazilian the opportunity to develop his counterattacking actions.

Raoni also hits kicks and does not disdain getting close, but with the same Timur Valiev, nothing worked for him, and he should not hope for success in the fight against such and such an opponent. The fact is that even with a black belt in BJJ, Barcelos shows extreme passivity on the ground floor. He occupies advantageous positions for a long time, reluctantly strikes, while Nurmagomedov quickly enters striking positions and instantly throws chokes from behind.

The picture of the battle can develop according to the following scenario: at the start, Umar will not let Raoni into close range and will use his superiority in speed. He is unlikely to be able to break through his counterpart, the Brazilian is too strong, but it’s quite enough to give him a boost in endurance. And after the equator of the meeting, you can gradually test the Dagestan struggle against an opponent of this level. It is unlikely that Barcelos will fall for the reception, it was only once in his career, but once again giving each round to the enemy, not wanting to take risks, is very possible.

Umar Nurmagomedov vs Raoni Barcelos Prediction

A significant spread in the coefficients does not quite reflect the existing reality. Yes, the fighters have an age gap of 9 years, Umar is better, just as an MMA fighter, he has a number of advantages over his counterparts, but we are talking about a Brazilian who did not spend his whole life in BJJ halls, but became a serious fighter who knows how to load and hold hard counter attack. That is why Nurmagomedov will have to work with maximum concentration and not rush things with transfers to the ground floor. If he succeeds, the victory by a referee's decision will be in his hands. Or, you will have to drag the opponent into the 3rd round and, having tired him with constant attacks to the body, make him give up, make mistakes and breathe heavily, on the eve of the takedown and the submission. Be that as it may, I would not count on Umar's early victory, because the bet on his triumph after 3 rounds will be the safest. Download 1xbet to your phone and place a bet on the favorite!

Prediction: Umar Nurmagomedov to win