The LFA is back this weekend with LFA 163, and the co-main event is an exciting lightweight bout between two very talented prospects. William Starks will meet Johnny Hopper in a massive fight for both of them. With an impressive performance, the winner will get more eyes on them from bigger promotions.
Read more for the complete Starks vs Hopper betting analysis and prediction if you plan to bet on MMA this weekend.
Starks vs. Hopper Information
William Starks vs Johnny Hopper
Location of the fight: Bell County Expo Center.
Date and Time: Saturday, July 21. 9:00 PM ET main card start
How to Watch: UFC Fight Pass
Last Fight Record
Starks is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Luis Muro in February at LFA 152.
Hopper is looking to bounce back from a tough submission loss to Josh Rohler at Anthony Pettis FC 4 in April.
Starks vs. Hopper Betting Analysis
William Starks
Will Starks is a 9-3 professional MMA fighter with 2 KO/TKOs and 3 submission wins. He is 29 years old and stands at 5’10” in the lightweight division. Fighting out of Columbia, Missouri, Starks is a very big lightweight with a lot of potential. He’s a very good grappler that loves taking the back of his opponents and doing most of his best work from the backpack position–a similar style to Aljo Sterling.
Johnny Hopper
Hopper is also a 5’10” bigger lightweight with a wrestling background out of Iowa. He is 7-2, with all 7 of his victories coming inside the distance, including 5 TKO/KOs. After dropping a fight in April, he is not looking to take a step back in competition and wants to get the job done in an even bigger organization.
Updates
No injuries have been reported to LFA.
Starks vs. Hopper Betting Preview
Starks vs Hopper betting lines say that Starks is the sizeable betting favorite at -290. Hopper is coming in at +230 odds. There are no prop bets available at this time.
It’s difficult to break these kinds of fights down because there are two fighters from different organizations with a lot of different skill levels. It’s impossible to see the level of competition each fighter has seen up to this point in time.
The MMA news never covers organizations like the LFA or Anthony Pettis FC because there aren’t any solidified stars in those promotions. Also, we have no idea if someone is fighting a future world champion or someone that is going to quit MMA in the next year.
Beyond Appearances
From the eye test, this matchup seems a lot closer than the odds are telling us. Hopper has a mean side to him and has very impressive ground-and-pound finishing abilities. Starks looks like the more athletic fighter, and he’s a little more advanced in grappling transitions.
This fight will for sure be a true MMA showcase. Both guys will engage on the feet and throw some big shots, as well as get into some exciting scrambles on the ground. When you notice LFA events on the MMA schedule, it’s worth checking out because of the future hidden talents fighting on the card.
William Starks vs. Johnny Hopper Betting Prediction
Since there is only a moneyline available for both fighters, this Starks vs Hopper betting prediction is a little more simple than most MMA predictions.
If you want to throw money on this fight, the underdog pick for Hopper is very justifiable. He has more power than Starks, and they are wearing 4-ounce gloves. One clean shot at any moment can end the fight, and Hopper is very good at finishing people when he is on top of them on the ground.
- The smart pick will be Starks, though. He is the more skilled and polished fighter out of the two and has more ways to get his hand raised on Friday night.
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