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Lightweights
NR | Devonte Smith (11-3, 3-2 UFC) vs. NR | Ludovit Klein (17-4, 1-2 UFC)ODDS: Smith (-190), Klein (+160)
For a late-notice bout between two men who do not even typically compete in the same division, this is a surprisingly well-matched fight. The UFC’s first fighter out of Slovakia, Klein’s debut almost went perfectly. He obliterated Shane Young with his signature head kick, but his quick victory was marred by a bad weight miss above the featherweight limit. So far, that has still been the high point of Klein’s UFC career after two disappointing performances. His power kickboxing game figured to find some success against either Michael Trizano or Nate Landwehr, but Trizano was able to answer everything Klein tried and Landwehr just tired him out with pressure on route to a third-round submission win. In a bit of a surprise, Klein moves up to lightweight on about a week and a half’s notice to step in against Smith, who is also trying to figure things out. A fast-handed boxer, Smith got out to a hot start in his UFC career, only to get derailed by Khama Worthy in 2019. It was one of the biggest betting upsets in UFC history but also came under extenuating circumstances, as Worthy was a friend and former training partner who was able to read Smith’s offense and score a quick knockout. After missing all of 2020 due to injuries and suffering personal tragedy in the process, Smith was able to rebound professionally in his first fight of 2021, a February win over Justin Jaynes during which “King Kage” looked as good as ever. However, Smith’s October loss to Jamie Mullarkey was a bit worrying. After an excellent first round from Smith, Mullarkey was quickly able to turn things around and score a sudden knockout in the second frame. Two finishes in three fights does raise some concerns about Smith’s margin for error, and in turn makes this a hard fight to call. Klein’s much more likely to tire over three rounds at any sort of pace but also has the much better chance of ending the fight with one big moment of offense. It is a coinflip, but the bet is that Smith’s size advantage and hand speed—along with Klein taking this fight on short notice—is enough to keep the Slovakian fighter at bay and allow the American to gut a win out. The pick is Smith via decision.
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