After taking off the final week of May, the UFC is back at the Apex this weekend for another fight night card. Kai Kara-France and Amir Albazi are the main event and will be the finale of a card with many MMA veterans. 44-year-old Andrei Arlovski is one of those veterans and will enter the octagon for his 58th appearance as a professional fighter. The card begins at 6 p.m. EDT on ESPN, and the main card will follow at 9 p.m. on the same channel.
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2023 total: Down 7.44 units
UFC Vegas 74 Kara-France vs Albazi Picks
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook
Jim Miller Moneyline (-240)
Jim Miller is entering the octagon for the 42nd time under the UFC promotion. His opponent, Jesse Butler, is making his UFC debut in the lightweight division. He is 12-4 in his career and is 31 years old. Miller is 39 years old and has a professional record of 35-17. Miller will be business as usual come Saturday night, regardless of the opponent. Butler will enter the cage with everything to gain and nothing to lose on two days' notice.
Miller's submissions are as dangerous as any fighter in the promotion. He has years of experience inside the octagon to draw from and is taking on somebody who will be nervous entering the cage. It is a massive advantage for Miller, who will likely be the better striker. There are no stats for Butler, but eight of his victories have come via submission and one knockout. Miller lands 2.85 significant strikes per minute and absorbs 3.08 strikes per minute. He also averages 1.56 takedowns landed per 15 minutes and should be able to control where the fight happens. He is in a position to get back on track with a win in this short-notice matchup.
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