UFC 296 approaches at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, December 16. The early preliminary fights begin at 6:00 PM ET, with one battle featuring a flyweight clash between 15^th-ranked Cody Durden and 12^th-ranked Tagir Ulanbekov. Ulanbekov is the current moneyline favorite with odds set at -162.

 

 

Durden has won his last four fights heading into this matchup, with three straight unanimous decisions under his belt. The most recent triumph was over Jake Hadley back at UFC on ESPN 50 in August of this year.

 

So far, his 16-win resume consists of six knockouts, five submissions, and five decisions that balance out his attack to win from anywhere inside the octagon. He has nine first round finishes and three of his four defeats have come by submission.

 

He lands 50 percent of his strikes and his takedowns. His significant strike ratio is solid, at 3.13 significant strikes each minute while absorbing 2.94. This does not leave much room for error here, so this will be something to watch.

 

Durden lands an aggressive 5.41 takedowns and 0.37 submissions per 15 minutes of fight time. He also boasts good defenses, with a 52 percent success against significant strikes and 80 percent against takedowns.

 

 

Ulanbekov is returning to the octagon after a first round guillotine choke submission over Nathan Maness at UFC Fight Night 214 back in November of last year. This got him back on the winning side after a unanimous decision defeat to Tim Elliot in the fight prior.

 

He has put together 14 wins that show one knockout, seven submissions, and six decisions. He has earned four first round finishes. Both of his losses so far have been by decision.

 

He has a striking accuracy at 44 percent and lands 43 percent of his takedowns. His significant strike ratio is slightly positive, as he lands 3.35 significant strikes per minute and absorbs 3.29 from opponents. This will need to be more aggressive and must defend better in order to have a shot at winning.

 

Ulanbekov delivers 3.81 takedowns and 0.95 submissions per 15 minutes of fight time. He also defends against significant strikes at 54 percent and 61 percent against takedowns at 61 percent.

 

 

Discover the latest odds on MyBookie for this bout, indicating Tagir Ulanbekov as a slight frontrunner. Both contenders boast impressive resumes, promising an exciting matchup.

 

 

This should be an appealing batter both on the ground and in striking. They each have similar stats, which means it could come down to a decision. Overall, Ulanbekov has a great chance at winning.