In the co-main event for the first card of the 2023 UFC fight schedule, Dan Ige (15-6) will be meeting Damon Jackson (22-4-1) in the octagon.
These two featherweights will be battling it out to make a big step forward in the featherweight rankings. They both believe they have a title run in their future; who will it be?
Read along for an Ige vs Jackson betting prediction and best bets for this weekend.
Dan Ige vs. Damon Jackson Information
- Venue and Location: UFC APEX, Las Vegas, Nevada
- Date: January 14, 2023
- How to Watch: ESPN+
Last Fight Records
Ige is coming off a loss last summer to undefeated Movsar Evloev via unanimous decision.
Jackson is coming fresh off of a first-round TKO victory over Pat Sabatini in September.
Dan Ige vs. Damon Jackson Analysis
This is a very interesting matchup in the UFC featherweight division to kick off 2023. These two are both veterans but are on two opposite streaks right now.
Ige has dropped three-straight fights to very tough opponents at the top of the division, and Jackson is on a four-fight winning streak against lower-level opponents, working his way up the rankings.
Ige has nine finishes in his professional career out of his 15 total wins; he has yet to be finished as well. He will be giving up four inches of height to Jackson, but has the same reach. Ige averages 3.80 strikes landed per minute in the octagon and absorbs 3.56 strikes per minute as well.
Along with his exciting striking style, Ige also has averaged a little over one takedown per 15 minutes inside the octagon. He will mix in takedowns with his striking very well and look for the opening at any moment when he needs to.
Jackson has had a long career bouncing around all the big promotions in the United States. At 34 years old, this is probably going to be his last run at a title if he keeps winning. A win over Ige would be a big step up and give him a better opponent next time in the octagon.
“Action” Jackson averages only 2.65 strikes per minute and absorbs 2.83. This tells us that his striking is surely not the best part of his game, but he seems to use it effectively at times in the octagon.
Jackson’s main weapon is his grappling. He has a very impressive 15 submission victories in his professional career, making him quite the submission specialist. Jackson averages 2.62 takedowns per 15 minutes in the octagon and has thrown up 2.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes as well. We know what his game plan will be on Saturday night.
Odds Breakdown
Before making any UFC predictions, let’s check out the betting odds. The Ige vs Jackson betting lines are very interesting this week.
Dan Ige
Dan Ige is the slight favorite, according to UFC odds. He started as the +140 underdog in opening lines but has trended towards being the favorite. This will be only his 5th time being the favorite in the UFC.
An interesting betting line for this matchup is the over 2.5 rounds being -200. The oddsmakers think this fight is destined to go to the scorecards, but with both these men being hungry for a spectacular finish, that might not be the case.
Damon Jackson
Damon Jackson seems to have been in this game for longer than anyone. He has lots of experience being a massive betting favorite in other organizations, but these odds are similar to his last fight against Sabatini. He was the underdog in that one as well and came away with a victory.
Jackson is currently +700 to win by submission on Saturday night. This line has massive value for someone that has won via submission 15 other times in his career.
Dan Ige vs. Damon Jackson Betting Pick and Prediction
UFC picks are some of the most difficult to make in the sports betting industry. Literally, anything can happen once the octagon doors close, and that is just the nature of the sport. Making an Ige vs Jackson betting prediction is tougher than a newbie UFC bettor might think.
Ige is going to come out with a sense of urgency and a chip on his shoulder after dropping three-straight fights against top talent. The UFC is doing him no favors with this matchup against a red-hot Damon Jackson, but Ige will have the advantage.
I believe that Ige will be too much to handle on the feet for Jackson, and he will have just enough grappling skills to stuff takedowns and be safe from any real danger if he gets taken down.
A finish for Ige would be massive for his career, and they don’t call him “50k” for no reason. He will be prepared to go to war and put on a show for the fans. He has the ability to end this one in one minute, or go the distance and turn this into a bloody brawl. But all signs point to Ige.
Pick 1: Dan Ige moneyline -130Pick 2: Dan Ige to win inside distance +200
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