Overview
- Saturday’s featured light heavyweight bout at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas matches undefeated Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev with veteran Brendson Ribeiro.
- Sportsbooks have installed Yakhyaev as an overwhelming favorite, with prices as steep as -2000 on FanDuel and -1800 on DraftKings.
- Yakhyaev is 8-0 with two UFC victories totaling 63 seconds after earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series and holding a Master of Sports in combat sambo.
- Asked about the lopsided odds, Yakhyaev said the favorite tag does not add pressure and instead “gives me energy.”
- Ribeiro is 17-9 and seeking to snap a two-fight skid, leaning on 81 inches of reach and one-punch power to survive early and test Yakhyaev’s unproven longer-round durability.