UFC ON ESPN 51: Swanson vs Dawodu 08/12/2023 – Veteran Cub Swanson locks horns with Hakeem Dawodu in one of the supporting bouts of the UFC on ESPN 51. The three-round featherweight showdown will be held on Saturday, August 12 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. ESPN/ESPN+ will feature the match on live television while UFC Fight Pass will present the clash via livestream. Both fighters are coming off losses in their last matches and are desperate to secure a victory that is expected to relaunch their careers. MMA fight odds are available for betting fans who want to watch a quality fight and earn extra money while watching the match at the same time.
UFC ON ESPN 51: Swanson vs Dawodu 08/12/2023
| When: | Saturday, August 12, 2023 7:00 PM ET |
|---|---|
| Where: | UFC Apex, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA |
| TV: | ESPN/ESPN+ |
| Stream: | UFC Fight Pass |
UFC ON ESPN 51: Swanson vs Dawodu 08/12/2023 Odds
| Fighter | Odds | Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cub Swanson | +185 | Hakeem Dawodu | -225 |
Main Card
Cub Swanson
Swanson (28-13, 13-9 UFC) will make his 23rd appearance inside the octagon as he seeks to bounce back from his previous setback against Jonathan Martinez. The 39-year-old Palm Springs, California native has a well-decorated resume as he fought with former UFC champions Frankie Edgar, Charles Oliveira, Jose Aldo, Jens Pulver and Max Holloway. Swanson has nine post-fight bonuses on his credit, which is tied with Holloway and Yair Rodriguez for the most ever in the featherweight class. These bonuses include six Fight of the Night citations. Swanson will come into the fight with a 3 1/2 reach disadvantage that he can counteract by using his quickness on Dawodu, who last fought in a catchweight bout at 149.5 pounds.
Swanson has recorded 17 finishes (13 knockouts and four submissions) in 28 career wins. In terms of striking, he has landed 4.68 significant strikes per minute at an accuracy rate of 50%. The American is good in defending strikes with a 60% defense rate and absorbed 3.73 strikes per minute. Swanson is also a good grappler as he has normed 1.09 takedowns per 15 minutes at a 52% takedown accuracy rate. He has able to stop 61% of the takedown attempts launched against him and averaged 0.44 submissions per 15 minutes.
Hakeem Dawodu
Dawodu (13-3-1, 6-3 UFC) had a hot start to his UFC career winning five of his first six matches over Zubaira Tukhugov, Julio Arce, Yoshinori Horie, Kyle Bochniak and Austin Arnett. However, the Canadian has lost two of his next three fights to Movsar Evloev and Julian Erosa. Dawodu’s determination fuels his comeback quest, yet his ultimate challenge lies ahead in facing Swanson, his most formidable opponent to date. Anticipated to leverage his Muay Thai and Kickboxing expertise, along with a 3 1/2-inch reach advantage, the Calgary native aims to outpoint his American counterpart in striking.
In terms of stats, Dawodu has recorded seven finishes in his career, all of them by knockout. Dawodu has averaged 5.33 significant strikes landed per minute at an accuracy rate of 50%. He has absorbed 3.15 significant strikes per minute and defended 57% of the strikes launched against him. He has yet to record a takedown and a submission in his UFC career but has been able to defend 65% of his opponents’ takedown attempts.
Swanson vs Dawodu Betting Numbers
| Record | Loss | Loss |
| Last Fight | 9-1-1 | 25-10-0 |
| Country | Canada | USA |
| Height | 5’8″ | 5’8″ |
| Weight (lbs) | 145 | 145 |
| Reach (in) | 72″ | 69″ |
| Win by KO/TKO | 54% | 46% |
| Win by Submission | 0 | 14% |
| Decisions | 46% | 39% |
| Strikes landed per minute | 4.38 | 5.91 |
| Striking accuracy | 49% | 47% |
| Striking absorbed per minute | 3.55 | 2.19 |
| Striking defense | 61% | 63% |
| Takedown average | 1.12 | 0 |
| Takedown accuracy | 50% | N/A |
| Takedown defense | 60% | 87% |
| Submission average | 0.49 | 0 |
Swanson vs Dawodu Betting Picks
Both fighters will come into the fight determined to notch an all-important victory that would revitalize their careers in the future. Swanson aims to secure the victory to prolong his UFC career, while Dawodu envisions this win against the veteran American as a stepping stone towards more lucrative future matches. Swanson can cancel out Dawodu’s striking and use his grappling skills to gain advantage during the fight.
On the other hand, the Canadian should use his longer reach to halt Swanson’s possible takedown attempts. The match is capable of producing all-out violence as both protagonists have the hands and feet to strike hard against each other. The Canadian Dawodu is favored in online sportsbooks that feature MMA due to his size and reach but do not sleep on Swanson as he has the experience to step up in crucial fights and emerge victorious in the end.
