Geoff Neal vs Shavkat Rakhmonov Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for UFC 285 (Rakhmonov Remains Perfect in UFC)

Neal vs Rakhmonov Fight Info, Date & Time

UFC 285 — Main Card Welterweight Bout
Geoff Neal (15-4-0, 9 KOs) vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov (16-0-0, 8 KOs)
Date: Saturday, March 4, 2023
Fight Time: This will be one of the fights on the main card, which begins at 10 p.m. ET.
Venue: T-Mobile Arena — Las Vegas, NV
Coverage: ESPN, PPV

Neal vs Rakhmonov Odds & Prop Bets

All UFC 285 odds, lines and prop bets are available on FanDuel Sportsbook.
Moneyline:
- Geoff Neal: (+350)
- Shavkat Rakhmonov: (-520)

Method of Victory:
- Neal by KO/TKO: (N/A)
- Neal by Points: (N/A)
- Neal by Submission: (N/A)
- Rakhmonov by KO/TKO: (N/A)
- Rakhmonov by Points: (N/A)
- Rakhmonov by Submission: (N/A)

Neal vs Rakhmonov Prediction

There's no denying that UFC 285 is loaded with thrilling bouts. One of those bouts features two rising stars in the welterweight division facing off in Geoff Neal and Shavkat Rakhmonov. Rakhmonov is looking to maintain a perfect UFC record, while Neal is looking to make a statement to his doubters.

The hype around Rakhmonov is building after his submission victory over Neil Magny back in June. Keep in mind Magny is the one who handed Neal his most recent loss back in May of 2021. Neal has gone on to beat Santiago Ponzinibbio (split decision) and Vicente Luque (KO/TKO) since that time.

Both of these fighters excel when it comes to landing strikes, but only one thrives when a fight goes to the ground. Rakhmonov averages 2.31 takedowns and 1.7 submission attempts per 15 minutes, which shines in comparison to Neal's marks of 0.59 takedowns and 0.1 submission attempts.

I'll side with Shavkat Rakhmonov to emerge victorious.

Neal vs Rakhmonov Best Bet

While Neal will want to turn this into an upright battle, Rakhmonov owns a 55% strike defense rate and absorbs just 1.39 significant strike per minute. He has proven he is capable of controlling a fight from the start and has a golden opportunity to prove why he is ranked No. 1 in the welterweight division.

I've already touched on the advantage that Rakhmonov has in this bout, but it's worth diving deeper into. The 28-year-old owns an 8-0 professional record in fights decided by submission, while Neal is only 2-1 in that scenario. Rakhmonov knows how to get his opponent to either tap out or pass out.

Bet: Shavkat Rakhmonov by Submission (TBD)

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

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