Ignacio Bahamondes (+136) vs. Roosevelt Roberts (-162)
Weight Class: Lightweight (155 lbs)
It’s rare to see Roosevelt Roberts with a reach disadvantage, but that will be the case tonight, albeit slightly, when he takes on Ignacio Bahamondes.
Bahamondes came up short in his UFC debut despite coming in as a favorite. John Makdessi was able to out-work the 23-year-old in rounds one and two, though Bahamondes fought a great third round. Before that, Bahamondes secured a knockout victory on the Contenders Series.
In both fights under the UFC banner, defense has been an issue for Bahamondes. He gets hit quite a-lot and absorbs an uncomfortable amount of damage. He has demonstrated a great chin, but his defense will need work if he wants to progress.
In terms of work-rate, Bahamondes keeps a good pace. He has a good striking arsenal and is far from one dimensional. As stated before, he just gets hit though. He is open to counters because he throws somewhat wide and his tall frame makes a nice body target.
As for Roosevelt Roberts, the once surging prospect will be looking to get back on track himself. After a submission win over Brok Weaver, Roberts was submitted by Jim Miller and Kevin Croom in his other two 2020 outings. He also lost a decision to Vince Pachel in 2019.
Roberts has a great striking frame and his jab is great, very quick and accurate. The power edge probably goes to Bahamondes in this one, however, as does work-rate.
Roberts is very strong in the clinch. He is also a big submission threat from the clinch and has multiple wins that way.
This fight is a coin toss, but I have to go with Bahamondes. This is a dog or bust scenario and I do quite like Bahamondes moneyline at this price. He has a higher output and more power, so I see him winning a decision. Roberts should land some good shots, but I think Bahamondes will be able to work through it and win a decision. Roberts has suspect defense himself as well.
+136 is a great price in my opinion. Bahamondes has a lot to work on but Roberts has looked less than ideal against better competition. Now that Bahamondes has his UFC debut under his belt, I expect him to pull this out and it’s a play for me.