King of Warriors MMA Odds, Picks, and Predictions on April 8
- King of Warriors MMA returns on Wednesday, April 8th at 12:00 pm EST
- Are there any compelling underdogs here on this regional MMA card?
- Check out the odds for several of the fights, my MMA analysis, and the best bets below
King of Warriors MMA will put on a night of fights at Arbat Hall in Moscow, Russia. Most of the world has halted to a standstill and live sporting events are largely not happening. One of the few live event attractions that still seems to be soldiering on is mixed-martial-arts promotions.
King of Warriors MMA Odds
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Abdulla Isaev | -400 |
| Daud Kelbikhanov | +300 |
| Fighter | Odds |
| Akhmed Khamzaev | -280 |
| Nurmuhammad Ahmadjonov | +220 |
| Fighter | Odds |
| Rustam Gadzhiev | -600 |
| Alexey Novikov | +400 |
| Fighter | Odds |
| Salavdi Dzhamaldaev | -280 |
| Bakhadir Ermatov | +220 |
| Fighter | Odds |
| Saygid Abdulaev | -335 |
| Ruslan Mamedov | +255 |
| Fighter | Odds |
| Shamil Tingadzhiev | -400 |
| Mederbek Nurmamatov | +300 |
| Fighter | Odds |
| Valery Gritsutin | -200 |
| Vadim Tochilin | +160 |
Odds taken on April 6th
These Russian promotions are doing their part to appease the MMA gods. During this time of ubiquitous event cancellations and the world largely being brought to a standstill. Kelbikhanov is a debutante pro and Isaev has five pro fights with four wins to his credit. This light-heavyweight tilt will be a fun one and I’m leaning towards Isaev.
Pick: Abdulla Isaev (-400)
Ahmadjonov has yet to taste victory as a pro (0-2) but Khamzaev has a 3-0 record. I think a losing skid continues here and the record of Khamzaev remains unblemished. It’s just as black and white, cut and dry as that.
Pick: Akhmed Khamzaev (-280)
Dzhamaldaev gets the nod here based on the slightly stronger resume. Additional fight experience and the fact that he fought for Berkut Young Eagles, the preeminent Russian circuit for prospects. This is a great tilt though as both men have spotless records, each has a one hundred percent finishing rate, and both have only secured those finished in round one. This is one of those fights where you shouldn’t blink and the favorite likely gets it done here.
Pick: Salavdi Dzhamaldaev (-280)
King of Warriors MMA
Abdulaev’s only loss was in his pro debut, he’s on a five-fight winning streak, and has an eighty percent finishing rate with both submission and striking-based wins. Ruslan Mamedov has only one recorded bout and it was a loss close to five years ago. I think the lack of success coupled with the cumulative rust from the time off is a rough combo for Mamedov. I’m going with Abdulaev in this one.
Pick: Saygid Abdulaev (-335)
Nurmamatov has back to back losses that booked his career heading into this fight. Shamil Tingadzhiev has alternated between win and loss for the last decade of competition but that’s still more consistent than his opponent. Tingadzhiev has experience on some of the biggest stages in Russian MM (ie/ M Global|) whereas Nurmamatov has club circuit caliber experience comparatively. Shamil Tingadzhiev will get it done come fight time.
Pick: Shamil Tingadzhiev (-400)
KOW MMA
Valery Gritsutin has the experience edge but the volume of losses he has makes him a curious favorite. I think there’s underdog potential with Tochilin. This reads like a situation to me where the debutante fighter can have the element of surprise in their favor. Someone with a lot of question marks surrounding them capitalizing on someone who has lost over three times more than they’ve tasted victory. Tochilin is the most compelling underdog bet from what I can among the crop of available odds.
Pick: Vadim Tochilin (+160)
Rustam Gadzhiev vs Alexey Novikov Tale of the Tape
| 8-5 | Record | 5-8 |
| 2 | Knockouts | 1 |
| 3 | Submissions | 3 |
| 2012 M1 Mix-Fighter tournament finalist | Titles/ Distinctions | FFP Light Heavyweight Championship |
| 5’11 | Height | 6’2 |
| N/A | Reach | N/A |
Gadhiev has been active on various Russian circuits including M1 Global as well as ACB (now ACA). He has faced off against names like Bellator MMA phenom Anatoly Tokov and is looking to say unbeaten under the King of Warriors banner. Novikov is riding a six-fight losing streak heading into this event. He does have a one hundred percent finishing rate though with a myriad of striking and submission based stoppages all in the first round.
Pick: Rustam Gadzhiev (-600)
A part-time writer and full-time broadcaster, Dylan has hosted MMA talk shows Lights Out and Pure Fight Radio with featured guests like Jens Pulver, Roy Nelson, Miesha Tate, and covered some of the biggest MMA promotions like Rumble in the Cage, Unified MMA, and King of the Cage.
