UFC Middleweight Contenders Clash
Chidi Njokuani and Albert Duraev are quality middleweight fighters who could make their way up the UFC rankings with a win.
UFC lines have Njokuani at -155 to extend his record to 23-8, but Duraev is always capable of scoring an upset at +125 with the sportsbook.
Quick Finishes Key for Njokuani
A 34-year-old Texan, Njokuani has had three fights in the UFC and all three fights have been relatively quick finishes.
He shocked online gambling markets when knocking out Marc-Andre Barriault in 16 seconds in his UFC debut in February last year. It was a huge finish for the exciting middleweight, who had promised plenty in other organizations.
‘It’s not like I just jumped into the game and got a UFC debut,” Njokuani said. “I’ve been doing this for the longest and I’ve been trying to get in for the longest, and to finally get in and make a debut like that, it was like the cherry on top.
“I know in these moments, just be cool, don’t even worry about that last fight. It’s like it didn’t even happen. Just go out there and do your thing.”
He franked that form when knocking out Dusko Todorovic in the first round in May, so the hype was real. However, he was upset as the UFC odds favorite against Gregory Rodrigues in September, getting knocked out in the second round.
Rebounding from a loss is never easy, but Njokuani doesn’t leave anything out of the Octagon. He comes full steam ahead and that’s a dangerous prospect for Duraev, who likes to warm into his fights.
Chidi njokuani with the second shortest ufc debut ever pic.twitter.com/n5MYY1HyK2
— Detective John Beliah 🔎 (@BeliahJohn) February 5, 2022
Duraev Back After Injury
The Russian has missed his last two fights due to injury, which isn’t an ideal preparation for this fight.
As UFC news reported, Duraev suffered an eye injury in his loss to Joaquin Buckley, but a spate of missed fights is concerning for the 34-year-old.
He might be 15-4, but Duraev has had four cancelled fights in the last four years, with two coming in the last few months. It’s not good enough from a professional fighter, and we’re worried about his fitness levels.
However, his win over Roman Kopylov at UFC 267 was a good result. It showed that he can grind out the victory over three rounds, but he will take a barrage of punches from Njukuani. He needs to be aware of the possible onslaught coming his way.
The +125 fighter deserves to be the underdog based on his recent form. His loss to Buckley wasn’t good and it has clearly had an impact on his preparation.
Njokuani vs Duraev Head-to-Head
This will be the first meeting between Njokuani vs Duraev.
Njokuani vs Duraev Fight Information
- Fight: Njokuani (22-8-0) vs Duraev (15-4)
- Location: AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX
- Day/Time: Saturday, March 25th, 7:00 pm ET
- Njokuani vs Duraev Live stream: UFC Fight Pass
Njokuani vs Duraev Betting Lines
Njokuani vs Duraev Prediction
Our UFC picks have Njokuani winning the fight and possibly scoring a big first-round knockout.
The -155 is a good enough moneyline price to include in your selections, so take the American to come out ahead.
The Chidi Njokuani are listed at -155 in our Vegas UFC lines. This means that if you wager $100 on Njokuani , you have a chance to win $65. The Albert Duraev are +XXX, offering a chance to win $125 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives Chidi Njokuani a 60.78% chance to win, with Albert Duraev at 44.44%
