Abdul Hussein makes his UFC debut. Cody Gibson is 3-7 through 10 UFC fights and has lost three of his last five. He took a first-round submission win over Brian Kelleher and a decision over Chad Anheliger, then lost by second-round submission to Da'Mon Blackshear and by first-round KO/TKO to Aoriqileng in October. The model takes Hussein at 70.2% and expects the decision.
The read
A number this size on a debutant is mostly a read on Gibson, whose last two fights ended early against him. Hussein's path is the one the model projects, staying out of trouble and taking the rounds against an opponent who has lost more than he has won in the octagon. Gibson's path is the Kelleher fight, a first-round submission in 3:58. The caveat is that Hussein has no UFC fight to read, so the confidence here should be taken with that in mind.
What decides it
- A debutant against a veteran with a losing UFC record and two straight stoppage defeats
- Gibson has 10 octagon fights and has lost three of his last five
- Gibson's path is the early submission he found against Kelleher
- Bantamweight three-rounder the model expects to go the distance
- A firm-looking number resting on a read of the opponent, not the pick's own form