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- Joaquin Buckley has opened as the -140 betting favorite against Abdul Razak Alhassan.
- Buckley and Alhassan have signed to fight at UFC Fight Night 201 on January 15, 2022.
- At +120, Alhassan will be the betting underdog for the second straight bout after being favored in all of his previous UFC bouts.
Oddsmakers are favoring Joaquin Buckley to beat Abdul Razak Alhassan in a battle of middleweight finishers next year.
According to the best UFC betting sites, Buckley is the slight -140 betting favorite to beat Alhassan who is currently listed at +120:
UFC Fight Night 201:
Abdul Razak Alhassan (+120)
Joaquin Buckley (-140)https://t.co/xotjMkxhVz— BestFightOdds (@BestFightOdds) December 8, 2021
Buckley and Alhassan, who have a combined 21 knockouts in 24 total wins, are scheduled to meet at UFC Fight Night 201 on January 15, 2022, which does not yet have an official venue or main event.
Buckley Finishes Antonio Arroyo
WHAT A KNOCKOUT! ?
Joaquin Buckley finishes Antônio Arroyo in the third round! ?#UFCVegas37 pic.twitter.com/ZAmJEB5YPV
— UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) September 18, 2021
Buckley is coming off a third-round knockout win over Antonio Arroyo at UFC Vegas 37 last September 18th. The win put Buckley back on track after he suffered a first-round head kick knockout loss to Alessio Di Chirico UFC Fight Island 7 last January. It was also Buckley’s third Performance of the Night bonus in as many wins in the UFC.
The 27-year old from St. Louis, Missouri started his MMA career for Shamrock FC where he amassed a record of 5-0 before making the jump to Bellator where he went 3-2. Buckley then fought for LFA where he picked up two knockout wins before joining the UFC last year.
After closing as a +380 underdog to Kevin Holland in his UFC debut and entering the Octagon as a +225 bottom dog against Impa Kasanganay in his second UFC bout, Buckley has seen the minus money sign next to his name in three straight bouts, including as a -330 favorite when he lost to Di Chirico.
Alhassan Defeats Di Chirico via KO
Official decision: Abdul Razak Alhassan (11-4) defeats Alessio Di Chirico (13-6) via KO (Headkick) #UFC #UFCVegas35pic.twitter.com/XhUtukZ1oV
— The League Winners MMA (@WinnersMMA) August 29, 2021
Alhassan meanwhile, is coming off a Performance of the Night head kick knockout win over Di Chirico at UFC Vegas 35 last August 28th. That win snapped a three-fight losing streak for Alhassan, which included two fights that were fought at a catchweight because he could not make the welterweight limit. He moved to middleweight two fights back but lost to Jacob Malkoun in his debut before the Di Chirico bout.
The 36-year old from Accra, Ghana previously fought for Bellator, Rage in the Cage, and Legacy FC before joining the UFC as an unbeaten 6-0 fighter in 2016. He started his UFC career with a 4-1 record with his only loss a split decision against Omari Akhmedov in 2017. However, after taking a 22-month break to settle legal issues, he lost three straight bouts.
Alhassan will be the betting underdog for the second consecutive bout. Prior to fighting DiChirico where he was listed at +215, Alhassan was favored in all of his previous UFC bouts, including during his consecutive losses to Mounir Lazzez (-350), Khaos Williams (-200), and Jacob Malkoun (-290). He was also a -250 when he was beaten by Akhmedov.
