In the lone women’s bout on the main card of UFC 254, Liliya Shakirova will take on #5 Lauren Murphy at women’s flyweight live this Saturday from Fight Island in Abu Dhabi and available on pay-per-view via ESPN+.
Liliya Shakirova steps in as a replacement while making her UFC debut in this bout, as #4 Cynthia Calvillo, who had to withdraw due to a positive Covid-19 test. 8-1 in her MMA career, Shakirova has a mixed bag of finishes but the majority are via decision. This will be a tough bout for Shakirova where she’ll be a major underdog, but it’s a good starting point for her UFC career.
Murphy is 13-4 at the MMA level, and currently riding a three-fight win streak in the UFC with victories over #8 Roxanne Modafferi and #10 Andrea Lee.
She can do a bit of everything, averaging 3.88 significant strikes per minute and landing 39 percent of her attempts. She also notches 1.14 takedowns per 15 minutes, and has at least two in her last two fights.
A 37-year-old veteran against an unproven up-and-comer, all signs and wagering so far point to this being Murphy’s fight to lose.
Here are the betting odds at DraftKings Sportsbook for Liliya Shakirova vs. Lauren Murphy at UFC 254 on October 24th.
Money line odds
Liliya Shakirova: +188
Lauren Murphy: -240
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL). Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ/WV/PA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (NH/CO) or 1-800-BETS OFF (IA). 21+ (18+ NH). NJ/PA/WV/IN/NH/IA/CO/IL only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.