Aleksei Oleinik Offers Dark Horse Value vs. Chris Daukaus

The hype surrounding Chris Daukaus undergoes its greatest test to date on Saturday when he’s faced with the challenge of 43-year-old heavyweight veteran Aleksei Oleinik.

In a duel between the emerging talent and the grizzled journeyman, it’s actually +145 underdog Oleinik who looks the better bet with BetMGM Sportsbook promo offer here for a number of reasons. 

Odds & Prediction: Chris Daukaus (-170) vs. Aleksei Oleinik (+145)

There can be little doubting that Daukaus has ‘lights-out’ power in his punches should he catch you, as we witnessed in his promotional debut against Parker Porter at UFC 252:

Chris Daukaus (-115) with the first KO of UFC 252 😳

(via @ufc)pic.twitter.com/Pp74LK0P0U

— br_betting (@br_betting) August 15, 2020

The 31-year-old is yet to even venture into a second round after two fights in the UFC, his other win coming over Rodrigo Nascimento, but he’s also yet to take on a challenge like Oleinik. “The Boa Constrictor” is no stranger to contests against powerhouses, but he’s also stood up to some revered UFC heavyweights and come out on top (see: Mark Hunt, Fabricio Werdum and Travis Browne).

Oleinik has been finished by the likes of Derrick Lewis, Walt Harris and Alistair Overeem since the summer of 2018, but there’s no evidence just yet to suggest Daukaus is of that standard. The underdog’s strengths will come to the fore provided he can make it past the first round, and a shock submission victory in the final stages of the matchup is the bet to back.

Prediction: Oleinik via submission (+225) in Rd 3 (+1400)