Rafael Dos Anjos vs Leon Edwards UFC Picks & Predictions - 7/20/2019

Rafael Dos Anjos vs Leon Edwards

UFC on ESPN 4

AT&T Center

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Rafael Dos Anjos (29-11-0) will battle Leon "Rocky" Edwards (17-3-0) at UFC on ESPN 4 in AT&T Center on Saturday, July 20, 2019. The opening odds have Dos Anjos priced at -135 while Edwards is at -105.

Rafael Dos Anjos steps into the cage with 29 wins and 11 losses. The Rio de Janeiro, Brazil native is 34 years old, weighs 170 lbs and is 5'8" inches tall. He has a 70.0" reach and fights in the welterweight division. Dos Anjos has a total of 26 fights in the UFC. In his most recent fight, Dos Anjos won in round 4 against Kevin Lee by submission. In the welterweight division, he is 2nd in strikes with 1,767 and is 6th out of all fighters in the UFC.

When it comes to strike accuracy, Rafael Dos Anjos sits at 235th among UFC fighters and 43rd in the welterweight division connecting on 53.2% of the shots he throws. He also has a total of 45 takedowns which has him sitting at 11th among UFC fighters and 3rd in the welterweight division. Dos Anjos finishes 40.2% of his takedown attempts which has him sitting at 225th among UFC fighters and 48th in the division. He sits at 1st in the division and 4th among UFC fighters for significant strikes with 1246. Of those significant strikes, 710 of them were directed at the head while 284 of them were directed at the body which has him sitting at 3rd and 2nd respectively in the division. At UFC - TUF 28 Finale, he lost via unanimous decision in the fifth round when he fought Kamaru Usman. A few fights ago, Dos Anjos lost in the fifth round when he fought Colby Covington at UFC 225: Whittaker vs. Romero 2 by unanimous decision.

Walking into the Octagon for this matchup, Leon "Rocky" Edwards has a total of 17 wins and 3 losses. The 27-year-old fighting out of Birmingham, England is 6'2" inches tall and weighs in at 170 lbs. The UTC Birmingham fighter competes in the welterweight division and has a 74.0" reach. He has compiled 10 fights in the UFC. Leon Edwards won by unanimous decision when he fought Gunnar Nelson in his most recent fight at UFC Fight Night: London. When talking about strikes, Edwards is 140th out of all fighters in the UFC and 37th in the division with 547.

When talking about strike accuracy, he is connecting on 58.7% of the shots he throws which has him sitting at 23rd in the welterweight division and 131st among UFC fighters. In addition, Edwards sits at 30th in the welterweight division and 136th among UFC fighters with a total of 12 takedowns. Ranking 63rd in the division and 334th among UFC fighters, Edwards completes 29.3% of his takedown tries. With 340 significant strikes, he sits at 161st among UFC fighters and 42nd in the division. Edwards sits at 30th in the division for significant strikes directed at the body with 73 and 44th for significant strikes directed at the head with 222. At UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Edwards, he won via unanimous decision in round 5 when he fought Donald Cerrone. In the fight before that, Edwards won in the 3rd round when he fought Peter Sobotta at UFC Fight Night: Werdum vs. Volkov by stoppage.

In this fight with Rafael Dos Anjos and Leon Edwards, it's important to understand how the two fighters match up. Leon Edwards is the more accurate striker, having connected on 58.7% of his punches meaning Rafael Dos Anjos will want to keep his hands up. With respect to physical attributes, let's start by taking a look at Rafael Dos Anjos who is 5'8" while the fighter standing across the Octagon stands 6'2". With respect to reach, Dos Anjos measures 70.0" while Edwards has a reach of 74.0" meaning Dos Anjos should consider closing the gap so Leon Edwards will have to fight on different terms. Dos Anjos is the older combatant in this fight at 34 years of age while Edwards is the younger fighter in this matchup at 27 years of age. In regard to Octagon experience, Dos Anjos has 26 fights which makes him the veteran relating to this fight while Edwards has been involved in 10 battles in the UFC. When it comes to overall experience in mixed martial arts, Dos Anjos has 29 victories and 11 defeats while Leon Edwards is the owner of an overall MMA record that boasts 17 victories and 3 defeats.

Who will win tonight's UFC match against the spread?

Guy's Pick: Take Rafael Dos Anjos (-135)

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