Trevor Peek to Open Main Card At UFC Fight Night

The Alabama slugger Trevor Peek (9-2) returns this Saturday, September 7th, at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on a card headlined by top-ten welterweights Gilbert Burns and Sean Brady. This will be Peek’s fifth appearance in the Octagon as he looks for his third win in the world’s top promotion after losing a unanimous decision to Charlie Campbell this past April. The former Agoge Combative fighter is now a Colorado transplant, training full-time at Bang Muay Thai under veteran coach Duane Ludwig. Could this new training style be the key to unlocking his full potential? We will have to wait and see, but at 29 years old, Peek is now entering his prime and is ready to leave his mark inside the Octogan.

His Opponent

On the other side of the cage is Middle Eastern power puncher Yanal Ashmouz, also known as “Red Fox,” who boasts a (7-1) record, including a first-round TKO via a counterleft punch in his UFC debut in March of last year. “Red Fox” will be making his third walk to the Octagon this Saturday and is looking to rebound from a unanimous decision loss to Chris Duncan in July of 2023, where he broke his hand during the fight. Six of the Israeli fighter’s seven wins have come by stoppage, making him an intriguing prospect at 155 pounds. Ashmouz trains with K Dojo in Fairfield, New Jersey, a gym that’s home to many experienced fighters. In a recent interview with Fightwave, he expressed his frustrations with the UFC for not booking him sooner, stating he had been ready to go since January. The 29-year-old has spent the past year working a physical construction job in his native Israel. Will the 13-month layoff play a factor this Saturday?

Our Tale Of The Tape

The similarities stand out with these two athletes as both are 29 years old and listed as 5’9″. The American Peek does own a 2-inch reach advantage at 70″ to Ashmouz’s 68″. DraftKings Sportsbook has the money line even with Peek at -118 and Ashmouz not far behind at -102. Judging by the line, we are in for a competitive match-up. One thing is for sure: the fans who tune in to watch will be winners. In the words of Peek, they will be “slinging bones” this Saturday, and I’m sure we’ll see a standing hammer fist at some point. I don’t want to leave out that 8 of Peek’s 9 wins have come via stoppage—it’s almost like this guy has two steel lunchboxes for fists. On the latest episode of the Peek Nation Podcast, the American stated that he is dying to get a finish in this one. Both fighters seem hungry to climb the mountain in the deepest division in the UFC. I expect the fight to stay standing, where both have shown they can touch that chin. Fireworks are expected to kick off the main card this Saturday, September 7th, live from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main card start time is at 7 p.m. EST.

Closing

My bet for this weekend is a 2-pick parlay with Trevor Peek and Sean Brady to win in the main event at +184 odds.