This is a great fight and matters very much for the division. I do think that Nassourdine wins, but don't think he should be a 2-1 favorite. Brendan continues to improve and continues to defy the odds. Sure, his personality seems weird and he's determined to act like a thug attacking other fighters with cheap shots on the casino floor, but he has takedowns and good forward pressure. I do however think Nassourdine is just slightly better than Brendon everywhere. A little cleaner in the strikes, a little better wrestler, a little more control. Nassourdine is the pick, but too close of a fight at these odds to spend money. Maybe the over 2.5 makes sense here.

Nassourdine Imavov

Nassourdine Imavov is a busy striker who constantly works towards his opponents. He can strike and counter strike while moving forward. He has a nice jab, solid elbows and looks very comfortable mixing it up. He has takedowns and solid control when he wants to use them. He averages about 1 takedown per fight but doesn't rely on them often. He is coming off the TKO win over Jared Cannonier where he controlled the striking pace and took over late.

Brendan Allen

Brendan Allen is on a 6 fight win streak and probably get a title shot with a win here. He is a BJJ black belt with solid low kicks, solid takedowns and solid striking overall. He has had a nice evolution where he started as essentially a straight grappler, then overcorrected to being primarily a striker and now seems to be mixing it all together well. He seems to have to have more confidence than ever and it shows. He is coming off the controversial win over Chris Curtis where he had a takedown early, then stopped grappling, lost a few rounds and then heavy grappled again.