Raulian Pavia (21-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) and Sean O’Malley (14-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) will be featured on the main card at UFC 269 in Las Vegas on Saturday, December 11th at the T-Mobile Arena.
O’Malley has done his share of trash-talking prior to this event and is fully prepared for the fight. But Paiva is not one to back down and has been vocal about his desire to silence his opponent.
O’Malley vs. Paiva Stats
Looking at the Paiva stats
Despite O’Malley’s constant talking, Paiva has made his feelings about him clear. Paiva has acknowledged that his opponent is a quality fighter but does not believe O’Malley’s skill set is enough to defeat him.
At just 26 years old, Paiva has begun to establish himself as a true threat in the sport. But he has limited UFC action.
Paiva last defeated Kyler Phillips via majority decision.
He will enter Saturday on a three-fight win streak and is feeling confident about his chances of earning the victory. He has also won 15 out of his past 17 matches.
Paiva has won four fights via knockout and three by submission. But he is known for his fights going the distance as Paiva tends to hold strong in the late rounds en route to plenty of wins by decision. This is evidenced by his average fight time of 12:06.
Additionally, Paiva has compiled 44 percent striking accuracy and 27 percent grappling accuracy.
It should be noted that he was the underdog in his last match against Phillips. Paiva is clearly a fighter who does not care about the odds and is fully confident in his ability.
Looking at the O’Malley stats
Sean O’Malley is undeniably one of the most entertaining fighters in the sport. Whether you love him or hate him, he is destined to catch your attention. The 27-year-old enters the fight with a dyed afro and an attitude full of confidence.
O’Malley has won two fights in a row, including a recent victory over Kris Moutinho via TKO. In fact, his last four victories have come by knockout.
So while Paiva prefers his fights to last into the deep rounds and let the judges decide the fate of the match, O’Malley prefers to take matters into his own hands. He is an aggressive fighter who is no stranger to taking big swings in the early rounds.
It is not surprising that his fights last just 8:54 on average.
O’Malley has posted a striking accuracy of 63 percent and grappling accuracy of 50 percent. He has totaled ten wins by knockout, one by submission, and three via decision.
Betting Trends for O’Malley vs. Paiva
- Paiva is 3-2 over his past five fights. He enters on a three-fight win streak.
- O’Malley is also 3-2 over his past five fights. He enters on a two-fight win streak.
- Pavia is 1-2 as an underdog.
- O’Malley is 4-1-1 as a favorite.
Who to Bet O’Malley vs. Paiva
The Majority of top sportsbooks project O’Malley to emerge victorious on Saturday night.
But is there a path to Paiva upsetting the odds?
He could hope to get lucky and throw an early knockout punch. But that really isn’t Paiva’s game.
He needs to avoid any major blows from his opponent and do his best to make this fight last into the late rounds. Pavia also needs to be ready on defense for O’Malley to attack early in the fight.
Take Sean O’Malley with your betting selection.
If you love sports betting subscribe to our Insiders Betting Digest mailing list and receive free betting picks weekly.