Name: Suman Mokhtarian
Opponent: Seung Woo Choi
Odds: +235 (bet $100 to win $235)
It’s worth noting that before we get into any paths to victory that one of the reasons that Mokhtarian is being underrated is that he has just one UFC fight. That fight came a year ago and was a shortly contested KO loss to a UFC newcomer. While that doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in a pick, that newcomer (Sodiq Yusuff) wound up rattling off three straight wins and fights Andre Fili on the pay-per-view card in January.
Now that we’ve established that he’s being unfairly judged for his last fight, let’s take a look at his style. Mokhtarian and Choi are both strikers by nature. The Aussie relies far more on his Muay Thai style and distance, where Choi rushes in with huge hooks. Although both prefer to work on the feet, this is likely a fight where the largest advantage comes through Mokhtarian taking it to the ground.
In his UFC career, Choi has conceded 10 total takedowns in under 30 mins of cage time. This means he gives up a takedown at a rate of over 1 every 3 minutes. Mokhtarian is far from being a well-versed wrestler, but he is no stranger to getting it to the mat. What’s even more assuring is that he makes good use of his efforts when he does get it there. His submission skills sort of fly under the radar with his style, but he does have a twister and a triangle in two of his last three wins.
If he’s able to get it to the ground even once, he’ll likely pick up the sub here.
Record: 13-27
Earnings (based on $100 bet/event): $-752
Return on Investment: -19%
2018 Record: 18-19 (+26%)
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