Montel Jackson vs. Rani Yahya Prediction: Can Jackson Take Down Yahya at UFC Fight Night?
Montel Jackson vs. Rani Yahya Prediction: Can Jackson Take Down Yahya at UFC Fight Night?
Instead of betting on Yahya this weekend, consider donating that money to a local food bank or church. I may not know how to pronounce Rani Yahya's name, but I do know he probably is not going to win this one. And with Jackson standing as a -600 favorite, this fight is almost unplayable. Or so I thought. Dun dun dun
Jackson vs. Yahya Start Time and Where to Watch
- Date: Saturday, April 22, 2023
- Game Time: 4:00 pm ET
- Where to Watch: ESPN+
Montel Jackson vs. Rani Yahya Prediction
Do not get me wrong. I am not betting on the underdog in this one. Yahya may be on a two-fight winning streak, but when he is unable to control the fight on the ground, he looks more out of place than Brendan Schaub doing comedy. Okay, maybe not that bad, but I really wanted to throw that joke in there. And while I am confident Jackson is going to get his hand raised, -600 is a crazy price tag to put on any unranked bantamweight right now. However, I do see value in the method in which Jackson gets this fight done.
Rani Yahya has one of the strangest UFC careers in MMA. Here are a few things that stick out to me from glancing at his resumé. He has been in the UFC since 2011. He only has four losses since entering the promotion. He has never been finished in the UFC. The majority of his opponents have been unknown prospects.
With these things in mind, Jackson is unarguably the most dangerous fighter Yahya will have faced in nearly 12 years. He has scored a whopping nine knockdowns in his last five fights. I know JP Buys was four of them, but that is still a ridiculous stat. Heading into the octagon on that kind of streak does not bode well for a 38-year-old with a 67" reach.
Do not read into the fact that Yahya has not been knocked out since 2009. At the end of the day, Jackson can crack, and Yahya gets cracked. My lean is Jackson to get this fight done via knockout.
Montel Jackson vs. Rani Yahya Pick
Official Pick: 1.5 Units on Jackson via knockout (-150) Bet $100 to collect $166 DraftKings has the best odds; click here to bet
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Article Author
One of the most prominent personalities on MMA Twitter turned proven handicapper, Super Fan is obsessed with combat sports. As is on par with his brash Twitter brand and personality, he specializes in longshot prop plays. Finishing 2022 up over +100u in just six months of being tracked, he plans to replicate that success in 2023. If you like good laughs and even better bets, Super Fan is your guy. Follow him on Twitter at @McGregorRousey.