UFC Vegas 67 Odds: Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Raoni Barcelos Prediction

Jeremy Perry
January 12, 2023

Anytime a Nurmagomedov gets into the Octagon, there is sure to be plenty of attention paid to the bout.

Umar Nurmagomedov is the cousin of former UFC Lightweight Champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and the brother of Usman Nurmagomedov, a Bellator Champion. Umar is currently No. 11 in the bantamweight rankings in the UFC and is looking to move his way up. He’s a perfect 15-0 in his MMA career so far and if the oddsmakers are accurate in any way, shape or form, he’ll be 16-0 after Saturday’s matchup with Raoni Barcelos.

Nurmagomedov is a massive -1030 favourite to win on the MMA odds, while Barcelos is a +615 underdog.

Umar Nurmagomedov -1165
Raoni Barcelos +665

Umar Nurmagomedov UFC Vegas 67

Nurmagomedov is a massive favourite on Saturday night and it’s not just because of the brand name. Sure, his family has a history of success but he’s actually done well to contribute to that. He’s a perfect 15-0 in his MMA career and is 3-0 in the UFC.

Nurmagomedov – like many of the other members of his family – excels on the ground where he has ended seven of his 15 fights via submission. His latest bout against Nate Maness went to a decision, which he won unanimously, but prior to that, he had submitted three straight fighters and four of his last five.

While the line might be too high, it’s still tough to see any other outcome here than a win for Nurmagomedov. He’s younger, stronger, faster and more skilled than Barcelos. This would go down as one of the biggest upsets in the last decade or so if Nurmagomedov loses.

Raoni Barcelos UFC Vegas 67

Barcelos is going to have a shot in this bout but it very much feels like the UFC has given Nurmagomedov a manageable opponent, so that he can keep on making his ascent up the UFC ranks.

Nurmagomedov is just 26-years-old while Barcelos is 35. It really feels like Barcelos is past his prime and will have to find his youth to pull this one off.

The good news for him is that he does have some power in those hands as eight of his 17 wins have come via knockout. The challenge is that Nurmagomedov is well aware of this and as a result, likely won’t stand and trade with him. The real question will be whether or note Barcelos can handle the ground game.

Barcelos is coming off a big win over Trevin Jones at UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Yan, but that was just his first win in three bouts. Prior to that, he had been 16-1 in his MMA career but the problem is that he hasn’t fought many top-level fighters. This is a big step up in competition for him and it’s going to look like that on Saturday. Don’t expect anything other than a Nurmagomedov victory in this one as he’ll take care of business as the oddsmakers indicate.