Jack Shore vs. Timur Valiev odds courtesy of Sports Interaction, Canada’s most trusted sportsbook.
The UFC will be returning to London for the first time in two years on March 19. Inside the O2 Arena, the event will feature several local and young fighters. The main event will see Tom Aspinall looking to prove he belongs in the heavyweight division against a veteran in Alexander Volkov.
A fight on the prelims that is good enough to be on the main card has a chance to steal the show. Jack Shore vs. Timur Valiev has all the makings of a fight where nobody will be sitting down.
With the help of Sports Interaction, The Sporting News takes a closer look at a bantamweight bout Shore and Valiev.
MORE: UFC London: Alexander Volkov vs. Tom Aspinall fight date, time, price, odds & location
Fighter overview
A gold medalist in the 2015 IMMAF European Open, Jack Shore made his pro debut in 2016. Primarily fighting for Cage Warriors, Shore won the CWFC bantamweight title in 2018. He made his UFC debut in 2019, beating Nohelin Hernandez via submission.
Shore is 4-0 with the promotion, his last fight a unanimous decision win against Liudvik Sholinian in September. He was supposed to face off against Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC London, but the latter was removed from the bout.
Born in Dagestan, Timur Valiev made his pro debut in 2010. After losing the first fight of his career, Valiev went on a ten-fight win streak. Competing for the World Series of Fighting and the later rebranded Professional Fighters League, Valiev made his UFC debut in 2020. He is 2-0 with one no-contest in the UFC.
In his last fight in June, Valviev beat Raoni Barcelos via majority decision. Valiev is a World Champion in Pankration.
How the fight is leaning
According to Sports Interaction, both fighters are dead even at -115. How the fight ends, however, is a different story.
Shore ending the fight via submission is favored at +450 (+1100 for Valiev), while Valiev via KO/TKO is at +600 (+900 for Shore). There is a chance the fight goes the distance, as it is favored at -239 compared to it not lasting long at +162.
MORE: UFC London: Alexander Volkov vs. Tom Aspinall odds, predictions, betting trends
Who has the edge?
On paper, this fight has a chance to steal the show. The bout is fascinating since both men don't have that much experience in the octagon.
Despite that, they still have redeeming qualities thanks to what they have been able to do so far in the UFC.
On their feet, Valiev has a slight advantage when it comes to significant strikes landed per minute at 5.35 (4.03 for Shore). Shore, however, has a 58% strike accuracy mark (55% for Valiev) and a 65% strike defense mark (50% for Valiev).In four fights in the UFC, Shore has landed 203 shots, while Valiev has landed 198 in three contests. The clash between the two has a chance to be a slugfest.
Shore will have a four-inch reach advantage over Valiev. The latter, however, has enough speed to land volume shots against Shore, if he chooses to. That is what he did against Barcelos back in June. It all comes down to who will be the patient fighter.
On the ground, Shore has a unique fighter IQ. That is at least true in the octagon. He averages 4.47 takedowns landed per minute, compared to Valiev's 1.62 mark. Shore has landed 15 takedowns in the UFC, with Valiev landing four. Those four came against Martin Day in February 2021.
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Looking at past fights of both fighters and how they have recently performed, Shore looks to be the most technically sound performer of the two. Shore is confident enough in his skills to believe he has what it takes to win.
"Valiev is very good, he very skillful, he is very dangerous. He is an elite level fighter," Shore said to The South Wales Argus. "He is good everywhere but I feel ultimately my fight IQ and cardio will factor in. It's going to be frantic, high-paced, and entertaining for as long as it lasts. As long as we are both in there, conscious and breathing, it's not going to be boring to watch.
“It's going to be a messy fight but he will provide me with an opportunity to finish him.”
While both fighters are unranked, there is no doubt they are the future of the bantamweight division. It all comes down to who can make the first mistake, as Shore and Valiev are known for playing chess inside the cage. In the end, the stock of the hometown hero in Shore (Wales) is too good not to ignore.
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Shore has a very dangerous arsenal at his disposal. As a result, "Tank" may be the man to look into in this fight that is a must-watch affair.
Sporting News prediction: Shore via submission (+450)
When is UFC London: Volkov vs. Aspinall?
- Date: Saturday, March 19
- Start time: 1 p.m. ET
- Main card: 4 p.m. ET
- Main event: 7 p.m. ET (approximately)
UFC London takes place on March 19. The event starts at 1 p.m. ET with the main card beginning at 4 p.m. ET. Volkov and Aspinall will make their way to the octagon at around 7 p.m. ET, depending on how long the undercard fights last.
How to watch UFC London: Alexander Volkov vs. Tom Aspinall
- TV channels/live stream: ESPN+
The prelims and the main card for UFC London will be available on the ESPN+ streaming service.
