One of the main card bouts at UFC Fight Night 60 is a three-round welterweight bout between Neil Magny and Kiichi Kunimoto. According to the current betting lines available at Several Bookmakers, Magny is a -390 favorite (bet $390 to win $100) while Kunimoto is a +300 underdog (bet $100 to win $300). MMA oddsmaker Nick Kalikas opened up Magny at -305 and Kunimoto at +225, and early acton is on the favorite Magny. I agree with the line movement as I’m picking Magny to win this fight. Here’s why Magny (13-3) was a competitor on TUF 16 and has really improved since the show, going 6-2 overall in the UFC with wins over William Macario, Alex Garcia, Rodrigo de Lima, Tim Means, Gasan Umalatov and Jon Manley with his losses coming to Seth Baczynski and Sergio Moraes. He is currently riding a five-fight win streak and has been among the most active fighters in the promotion. Magny is one of the tallest welterweights at 6’3″ and he has a ridiculous 80″ reach which he uses efficiently in all of his fights. He has an excellent jab and is improving with his power combinations, making him a very dangerous fighter for opponents to stand and trade with. His wrestling is his weakness, but he is improving it each time we see him. Magny is the hometown fighter here against Kunimoto and he’s expected to win, but he has to be careful not to get taken to the mat. While Magny is a solid striker, his ground game leaves much to be desired and this will be a big test for him at this point of his career, albeit one he can pass. Kunimoto (18-5-2, 1 NC) is 3-0 in the UFC so far with wins over Richard Walsh, Daniel Sarafian and Luiz Dutra. The 33-year-old native of Japan is currently riding a seven-fight win streak and has looked quite good as of late. Kunimoto is essentially a grinder with good submission skills. He likes to push his opponents up against the fence, he tries to take them down, and on the ground he has the ability to tap his opponents out. His striking, though, is subpar, which is going to make it tough for him to beat a guy like Magny who is so solid in that department. He will have to take Magny down and submit him or control him for 15 minutes, and while it can’t be ruled out, it does seem like a tall order, especially in Magny’s hometown. Kunimoto is a solid fighter but the UFC wants Magny to win this fight in his hometown and I expect him to get the job done. As long as Magny doesn’t get taken down and submitted, I think he will find success on the feet and win the fight. Magny has done a better job of finishing fights as of late, and although Kunimoto is a tough veteran, I think it’s possible Magny knocks him out. But even if he doesn’t get the finish, I expect Magny to clearly outpoint Kunimoto en route to a decision win. The line is fairly high for a guy who used to never get respect, so be careful, but if you are sure he wins I can’t blame you for putting him in your parlay.
