While the UFC continues to be the king when it comes to MMA and gambling, there is more MMA than ever to bet on now. Promotions all over the world as well as domestic ones are showing up in sportsbooks. The advantage here is that the data is usually quite a bit less sharp than when you’re making MMA predictions for the UFC. So we’ve decided to dig into some each week to get you started on your regional MMA journey. This week we head overseas for RIZIN 53 from Kobe, Hyogo, Japan for our regional MMA pick.
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MMA Regional Pick of the Week: RIZIN 53
RIZIN Featherweight Fight: Koyomi Matsushima vs Ryan Cafaro
Card Start Time: Saturday (5/9), 11:30pm EST (Internet PPV)
On the prelims of the late Saturday and early Sunday card, we get the debut of an American fighter. While we don’t see too many jump to RIZIN, Ryan Cafaro had dominated the regional scene in the US, and was looking for a bigger challenge. He finds it with the likes of Koyomi Matsushima, who brings a style he has not seen before.
Despite the awkward style of Matsushima, I like Cafaro in this one. Firstly, he should be the one with a power advantage in this one. Throwing aside the knockout numbers and many finishes he has, there is just something about the way Cafaro throws. When you watch his fights, his shots appear to have far more impact that what they look like when he’s throwing. Additionally, he’s strong in the clinch and good at getting in and out of range.
On the other side, Matsushima is more one-sided in his approach. He likes to get the grappling going. Sometimes it is so much so, that he fails to really set up his shots well. That should give Cafaro a chance to sprawl and circle away. Additionally, the striking of the home fighter often leaves him off balance, which could give Cafaro the opening he needs to get that finishing blow.
With these advantages, look for Cafaro to pick his way to an easy striking victory.
RIZIN 53 Pick: Ryan Cafaro ML (+120)
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