One of the main card bouts at WSOF 21 is a three-round featherweight bout between Hakeem Dawodu and Chuka Willis. According to the current betting lines available at Several Bookmakers, Dawodu is a -530 favorite (bet $530 to win $100) while Willis is a +350 underdog (bet $100 to win $350). MMA oddsmaker Nick Kalikas opened up Dawodu at -400 and Willis at +280, and early action has come in on Dawodu. I see Dawodu keeping his undefeated streak going with a devastating knockout win over Willis. Here’s why. Dawodu (4-0) is 4-0 in WSOF with all wins coming by way of T/KO. The 23-year-old Canadian is a vicious muay Thai striker and so far no one has been able to handle him on the feet. He throws a variety of strikes from his hands, feet, knees and elbows, and no one has been able to go the full 15 minutes with him in MMA so far. His wrestling and ground game are untested, but as far as his standup goes, it’s lights out. He’s one of the top featherweight prospects in North America right now, and a win over Willis could earn him a title shot. Willis (4-0) is making his WSOF debut after going undefeated on the U.S. regional circuit. The 22-year-old American is more of a grinder type, a fighter who will look to press you up against the fence to wear you out and then take you to the mat to score points. He has been successful so far with this approach as a pro, but in the past as an amateur he has lost. He has decent wrestling overall but his ground game is exploitable, and overall I don’t rate him too highly despite his record. While he is fairly aggressive on the feet, I don’t believe he will be able to withstand the power of Dawodu for three rounds. Willis isn’t bad by any means, but this fight is a bad matchup for him, and I’d be very surprised if he won. Right now I don’t see many featherweights in WSOF stopping Dawodu’s rise to the top. The guy is a legit prospect and could soon be fighting for the title. I believe he finishes this fight. I think his standup will be far to dangerous for Willis to avoid and I believe he will find a finish sometime within the 15 minutes. The line is pretty high, but Dawodu should be used in your parlay this weekend.
