Prediction for the fight Rinat Fakhretdinov vs Nicholas Dalby

The first Tatar fighter in the UFC, Rinat Fakhretdinov, is gradually approaching the Top 15 of the welterweight division, and a victory at the UFCon ABC 6 tournament may well be his ticket to this elite club. On the way to him stands Nicholas Dalby, with whom they will measure their strength within the walls of the Kingdom Arena on June 22. Once again, the promotion's matchmakers have worked to ensure that we see a clash of styles, and this meeting promises to be very tense.

• Rinat Fakhretdinov vs Nicholas Dalby;
• Rinat Fakhretdinov;
• Nicholas Dalby;
• Comparative analysis;
• Game Totals Prediction.

Rinat Fakhretdinov vs Nicholas Dalby

Rinat Fakhretdinov

Rinat has a long background in pankration and combat sambo. He was the best at the World Championships, entered the Top 3 at the Russian Championships, became a master of sports, and all this in two disciplines in parallel. In addition to this, “Gladiator” became a master of sports in mixed martial arts, where he also took the championship belt of the GFC organization. Since 2013, no one has been able to defeat him.

Strengths

In his arms, Fakhretdinov is a “boxer-wrestler” to the core. Sweeping overhands, a lot of pressure, slightly crooked technique - everything is in the best traditions of ground fighters. Although in recent years he has increased the number of kicks, the most interesting things happen in a horizontal position. High tempo, a lot of transfers, merciless ground and pound, and an excellent base of techniques allow him to torture his victims on the ground, preventing them from opening up in the stance.

Weaknesses

It is more than obvious that it is very difficult for Rinat to measure his strength against leading strikers, and in this case, breaking through takedown defense, with the need to return to work in a standing position, is also not easy for him. Due to the high work rate, Fakhretdinov’s cardio sags in the second half of the fights, although even in this state, he brings a huge number of problems to his opponents.

The current form and readiness of the fighter

The fighter is 32 years old, and if you do not take into account his last fight, which ended in a draw with Eliseu Zaleski Dos Santos, Rinat is now on a streak of 20 victories. He beat Kevin Lee, Eric Spicely, Mikhailidis and other decent guys. And now, he again faces a fight with an experienced counterpart who is still in good shape. At the same time, Fakhretdinov himself is in excellent shape, he has complete order with sports aggression and competitive spirit, so there is no reason to doubt his readiness at all.

Nicholas Dalby

Dalby has already signed with the UFC twice since his first run in the league was extremely unsuccessful. This is a basic karateka who has a green belt in Ashihara karate and a brown belt in BJJ - the ground fighter began to improve his skills after the start of his professional career. Due to his well-trained stance, he was a real monster in European organizations, collecting the belts of the Cage Warriors, EMMA and FG leagues. In addition, he was awarded the title of “Fighter of the Year” and “Knockout of the Year”, and in 2015, he also won “Comeback of the Year” when he fought with Darren Till.

Strengths

Dalby is good at what he started out with - striking. His arms are positioned well, and his legs fly all over the floors; moreover, the presence of a knockout blow has not been canceled either. In clinches, he also excels, but on the ground, his skills can rather be called basic, because Lokomotiv rarely wins with techniques, and over mediocre-level opposition, however, as for a karateka, he has a decent understanding of the game on the ground.

Weaknesses

Nicholas lost only by decisions, and this happened in those fights where his strong side did not work, and applying Plan B and going to fight did not work. Simply put, the Dane’s technical limitations blocked his path to victory with more pumped up station wagons.

The current form and readiness of the fighter

Nicholas is on a streak of 4 victories in 5 fights, and he lost only to the most experienced Tim Means, while defeating Worley Alves, Muslim Salikhov and Gabrielle Bonfim. Dalby is a 39-year-old veteran, with vast experience behind him and still an excellent jaw, which is a rarity for his category. He has lost his knockout potential, as well as his general activity, but at the same time he remains dangerous at a distance of 3 rounds, and does not look helpless in any position. Nicholas is ready for battle and definitely has no plans to slow down.

Comparative analysis

The Russian is slightly taller than Dalby, but in the arm span between them the parity of 1 cm in favor of Nicholas can be ignored. Even if it were the other way around, Rinat is still not a competitor to the Dane in the standing position, and he definitely shouldn’t linger there. Yes, the “Lokomotiv” has not charged for a long time as it used to, but it is still capable of turning off the lights, so with its crooked angles and open visor on approaches, the “Gladiator” has nothing to catch there. It can force the enemy to retreat due to pressure, but it is definitely not worth exchanging blows for a long time.

A much more likely picture of the battle: a sharp rapprochement after a short reconnaissance, on the initiative of Fakhretdinov, and transfer, followed by control. Dalby blocks up to 60% of takedowns, so in three attempts you can get through his defense, and then the main thing is to stay focused and hope that the European brown belt in BJJ is not as “honest” as the Brazilians. Rinat should take the first half of the meeting confidently, but then experience, endurance and the ability to adapt will come into play.

Nicholas will catch his opponent getting close, and will use all his knowledge to neutralize his colleague’s attacks on the ground, tire him out in clinches and try to make a comeback in the 3rd round. Such an outcome is quite possible, but we still have to live to see it. And despite the absence of early defeats, a very warm welcome awaits him on the ground, where there will definitely be no time for rest.

Rinat Fakhretdinov vs Nicholas Dalby Prediction

The spread in the odds here is explained by the fact that Rinat has such a trump card as wrestling, but for some reason no one takes Nicholas’s stance into account. The meeting will not be easy for Fakhretdinov, especially if it drags on, and this is very likely, therefore it is in his interests to do everything possible so that Dalby is no longer suitable for vertical action by the 3rd segment. If you do not rely on quotes and the choice of a specific winner, then betting on the total rounds (Total over (1.5) by round) looks appropriate here. Yes, and Total over (2.5) too, and choosing the favorite will most likely pay off. Download 1xbet to your phone and place a bet on the favorite!

Prediction: Total over (1.5-2.5) in completed rounds/Victory of Rinat Fakhretdinov