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Sean O’Malley vs. Aiemann Zahabi Odds: UFC Freedom 250 Picks, Prediction

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Canadian Aiemann Zahabi will be looking to extend his current win streak to eight fights when he enters the octagon on the South Lawn of the White House to battle fellow bantamweight Sean O’Malley on Saturday night at UFC Freedom 250. The Laval, Quebec native has been idle since eking out a split decision win over Marlon Vera last October at UFC Vancouver and has now seen five of seven recent victories come by decision.

O’Malley got back on track with a three-round unanimous decision win over Song Yadong five months ago at UFC 324. With that win, O’Malley snapped the first two-fight losing streak of his career, and remains perched at No. 3 on the UFC bantamweight rankings.

O’Malley vs. Zahabi UFC odds

O’Malley leads the way on the UFC Freedom 250 odds as a heavy -475 favourite. Zahabi trails as a +350 underdog, while the odds of this clash going a full three rounds are pegged at -175.

Sean O’Malley UFC Freedom 250 Odds

Sean O’Malley embarked on the long road back to championship contention last time out after suffering consecutive losses to Merab Dvalishvili that cost him the UFC bantamweight strap. O’Malley needed a nod from the judges to claim a three-round win over Song Yadong, but turned in a steady performance despite getting taken to the mat on three occasions. Staying on his feet has been a challenge at time for the 31-year-old American, who has been on the receiving end of 14 total takedowns over his past three fights, and must now face an opponent sporting a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

O’Malley does enjoy a significant reach advantage and is a proven striker, with 12 of his 19 career victories coming by KO or TKO. Indeed, he holds the UFC bantamweight record for most significant strikes landed in a fight when he peppered Marlon Vera with 230 strikes in his last successful title defence at UFC 299.

Aiemann Zahabi UFC Freedom 250 Odds

A multi-discipline fighter, Aiemann Zahabi has made steady gains on the UFC bantamweight rankings while winning seven straight fights and the Montreal-based fighter is now perched as the No. 6 contender in the division. In addition to his black belt, Zahabi is also an accomplished grappler and an effective puncher, outstriking opponents by wide margins in his past three outings.

Going the distance has not been a problem for the 38-year-old, who has seen his last three wins come by decision. However, he has suffered knockdowns in each of his past two contests, and will need to prioritize defence against a prolific power puncher like O’Malley.

UFC White House: Sean O’Malley vs Aiemann Zahabi Prediction

There is a lot on the line for both these fighters ahead of what promises to be an entertaining scrap. Both these fighters have finishing power, and the advantage will likely go to the fighter that avoids mistakes. That likely means a relatively quiet opening round in a clash that will be settled on points, with the veteran Canadian offering the greater betting value.

Prediction: Zahabi on points (+500).