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UFC 297 Betting Preview: Arnold Allen vs. Movsar Evloev

January 20, 2024



Discover an enticing main card clash at UFC 297, which showcases a featherweight bout between fourth-ranked Arnold Allen and ninth-ranked Movsar Evloev. As the opening fight on the main card for Saturday, January 20, at 10:00 PM ET in Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada, Evloev enters as a moderate favorite with a -200 moneyline.



Arnold Allen Betting Preview

Allen is coming off of a unanimous decision defeat to Max Holloway back at UFC on ESPN 44 in April of last year, which is just his second loss of his career. This ended his previous 12-fight win streak dating back to 2014.



In 19 career wins, he has posted seven knockouts, four submissions, and eight decisions. Despite the variety of wins, he has only ended one of them in the opening round. Looking at his two losses, both have been by decision.



“Almighty” typically lands 41 percent of his strikes and 50 percent of his takedowns. He does a good job with his significant strike ratio, as he is landing 3.34 each minute and taking on 2.86. This positive ratio will be key in this battle.



Allen has some action on the ground in each fight, with 1.12 takedowns and 0.31 submissions per 15 minutes of fight time. He also defends well against significant strikes at 62 percent and against takedowns at 76 percent.



Movsar Evloev Betting Preview

Evloev recently added to his undefeated win streak with a unanimous decision over Diego Lopes back at UFC 288 in May of last year. He is currently on a 17-fight win streak without a loss since starting his professional career in 2014.



He has put together 17 victories earned by three knockouts, four submissions, and 10 decisions. He only has two first round finishes so far, so not a threat either to finish the battle at the start.



He has a striking accuracy at 49 percent and a takedown accuracy at 51 percent. He delivers 4.57 significant strikes a minute and absorbs 2.74. This is a slightly more aggressive ratio in comparison to Allen and could be a huge factor in winning.



Evloev lands an aggressive 4.71 takedowns, but has 0.29 submissions per 15 minutes of fight time. He also defends against significant strikes at 62 percent and 71 percent against takedowns.



Odds, Series Trends and Free Pick

MyBookie offers the betting odds for the battle in UFC 297, with the odds showing that Movsar Evloev is moderately favored to succeed. Bettors might want to consider adding him in a parlay with other fights from the night or select a prop bet that best suits his potential for a better payout. For now, Evloev offers a more compelling resume and a stronger significant strike ratio.

Final Pick: Movsar Evloev in Parlay or Prop