Martin Buday vs. Jake Collier Prediction: Can Buday Make a Statement at UFC Fight Night?
The UFC is set to have a fight between two heavyweights, Jake Collier and Martin Buday, on Saturday night in the prelims. Can Buday make a statement? Ben Rajavuori answers.
Ben Rajavuori
| 5 min
Martin Buday vs. Jake Collier Prediction: Can Buday Make a Statement at UFC Fight Night?
The UFC is set to put on a contract filler between two heavyweights, Jake Collier and Martin Buday, on Saturday night in the prelims. Although both fighters have much to prove, this fight is clearly not a barn burner. Yes, Buday is early on in his career, but I do not feel that either of these men will ever be fighting for a belt. Yes, it will be a fun slug-fest between two of the bigger frames in the promotion, but it is not a fight that features a future champion. Still, there is a great opportunity for some money to be made here.
Buday vs. Collier Start Time and Where to Watch
- Date: Saturday, April 29, 2023
- Game Time: 4:30 pm ET
- Where to Watch: ESPN+
Martin Buday vs. Jake Collier Prediction
Martin Buday is a Slovakian fighter who has shown great promise in his career so far, although he joined the UFC later in his career. With an 11-1 record, including seven knockouts and one submission, he still has yet to prove himself in the UFC, but he is off to a nice 2-0 start against Chris Barnett and Lukasz Brezski. Buday earned a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series after a first-round knockout win over Lorenzo Hood back in 2021 and has made the most of his UFC career so far. His contender series win was an impressive performance that showcased his power and skill, and it earned him a spot in the UFC.
On the other hand, Jake Collier has had a more mixed career. He has a record of 13-8, with five knockouts and four submissions. He has been all over the place with his weight class, as he has fought across three weight divisions, now living at heavyweight, and he weighed in at 265.5 pounds. After starting in the UFC as a middleweight, he has struggled to find consistency in the heavyweight division.
In fact, he has only managed to win two fights in this division in six tries for a 2-6 record, and both of these wins were against fighters who are no longer with the UFC or have a losing record. His two wins at heavyweight are over Chase Sherman, who is barely hanging on to his spot in the promotion, and Gian Villante, who was cut from the UFC.
Martin Buday is just clearly the better fighter to me, and I love getting this good of a line on him. His win on Dana White’s Contender Series was a clear indication of his potential, and his performance in that fight was nothing short of dominant. You could argue it was against a much worse fighter, but Collier has shown me nothing at heavyweight to believe that.
Collier has struggled to find his footing in the heavyweight division and has only beaten very low-tier competition. Although he has shown flashes of good signs, he has not been able to put together a consistent run of victories. This lack of consistency is a major concern when facing a fighter like Martin Buday, who has yet to fail in his short UFC tenure so far.
Based on their respective records and performances, I believe Martin Buday will come out on top. Collier has had an inconsistent career and can't find a weight class he is comfortable in. Buday is a true heavyweight with striking skills and an effective path to victory at range.
This fight seems like the end of the road for Collier with a loss, and it feels inevitable. Of course, this is heavyweight, so Collier could land a haymaker and end it, but Buday seems to keep out of range very well and evades haymakers well for a heavyweight. I love getting this good of a line on who clearly looks like the better fighter in this matchup.
Martin Buday vs. Jake Collier Pick
Pick: Martin Buday by Knockout +270 Get the best odds for this pick by checking every sportsbook here
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