UFC Fight Night Betting Preview: Kanako Murata vs. Vanessa Demopoulos

October 7, 2023

The approaching UFC Fight Night's preliminary fights present a tantalizing array of betting opportunities, and among these, you will find an intriguing women's strawweight contest featuring Kanako Murata facing off against Vanessa Demopoulos.

Location: UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada

Date: Saturday, October 07, 2023

Main Card: 7:00 PM ET (ESPN+)

Prelims: 4:00 PM ET (ESPN+)

Kanako Murata Betting Preview

Murata returns to the octagon after a few years off her previous battle. This was a TKO (arm injury) defeat against Virna Jandiroba back at UFC on ESPN 25 in June of 2021.

She boasts an impressive career tally of 12 victories, comprising two knockouts, four submissions, and six decisions. Notably, three of her triumphs have concluded within the first round, though she has suffered a single defeat by both knockout and submission.

In the realm of striking, her precision stands at a remarkable 60 percent, while her takedowns land with a success rate of 40 percent. Averaging 2.08 significant strikes per minute while absorbing 2.60, her margin for error remains razor-thin, as it leans slightly towards the negative.

Murata has consistently thwarted significant strikes at a 54 percent success rate but has yet to defend against takedowns. In addition, she initiates 2.40 takedowns and 1.20 submission attempts per 15 minutes of action.

Vanessa Demopoulos Betting Preview

Demopoulos is coming off of a unanimous decision defeat against Karolina Kowalkiewicz back at UFC Fight Night 223 in May earlier this year. This snapped her previous three-fight win streak spanning back to January of last year.

Her resume features nine victories in mixed martial arts, comprising one knockout, four submissions, and four decisions. Impressively, four of these wins occurred in the first round, but on the flip side, all five of her losses have been via decisions.

Nicknamed the "Lil Monster," she boasts a striking accuracy of 43 percent and successfully executes takedowns 14 percent of the time. She maintains an output of 3.71 significant strikes per minute while absorbing 5.61, indicating a somewhat negative statistic that could impact her performance in the upcoming fight.

Her defense stats are solid, with a 44 percent success rate against significant strikes and a 50 percent success rate against takedowns. However, she has not focused much on ground fighting, averaging only 0.58 takedowns and 0.78 submission attempts per 15 minutes of fight time.

Odds, Series Trends and Free Pick

MyBookie unveils its freshest betting odds, illuminating Kanako Murata as a moderate favorite of clinching a victory in this matchup. You can also think about including Murata in a parlay bet alongside other fights on the card to potentially enhance her potential payout in the event you pick her to win.

Vanessa Demopoulos: +280

Kanako Murata: -355

Demopoulos has not been appealing lately when striking. If Murata is back in good form, she could win by decision here.

Spooky Express Pick: Take Kanako Murata to Win at -355

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