Serhiy Sidey vs. Ramon Taveras Odds
Here's everything you need to know about Serhiy Sidey vs. Ramon Taveras at UFC 297 on Saturday, Jan. 20 – our expert UFC prediction and pick.
Canadian bantamweight Sidey and U.S. fighter Tavares, who missed weight, run it back after the referee's premature stoppage in their first fight at a 2023 Contender Series event.
Sidey got the questionable win, but Tavares rebounded a month later with a get-right Contender Series victory of his own to stamp his UFC ticket. Now the former foes meet again with Sidey installed as a modest favorite in their UFC 297 rematch.
Check out the Sidey vs. Tavares odds and betting pick.
Tale of the Tape
| Sidey | Taveras | |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 10-1 | 9-2 |
| Avg. Fight Time | 2:26 | 1:28 |
| Height | 5'11" | 5'8" |
| Weight | 135 pounds | 139.75 pounds |
| Reach | 72 inches | 70 inches |
| Stance | Switch | Southpaw |
| Date of birth | 6/4/1996 | 1/9/1994 |
| Sig Strikes Per Min | 4.52 | 7.20 |
| SS Accuracy | 35% | 58% |
| SS Absorbed Per Min | 4.52 | 6.17 |
| SS Defense | 42% | 66% |
| Take Down Avg | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| TD Acc | 0% | 0% |
| TD Def | 0% | 0% |
| Submission Avg | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Sidey scored a knockout via early stoppage halfway through the first round of their first meeting.
Sidey closed as low as -180 with Taveras as high as +165 for the first fight, roughly the same price range for the rematch.
However, the first fight was lined around -190 (65.5%) to end inside the distance while Saturday's rematch is closer to -300 (75% implied) or higher.
Sidey is both the taller and longer fighter and the more well-rounded and technical martial artist.
Conversely, Taveras is seemingly the faster and more explosive athlete.
This is an extremely high-variance matchup between young opponents with limited data points. Both had their moments in the first fight and comparing the quality of regional performances across different promotions can be difficult.
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Sidey vs. Taveras Pick
I lean toward Taveras (projected +155, listed +160) from a moneyline perspective, but I would prefer that line to blow out closer to +170 before jumping in.
I also lean toward the Over 1.5 Rounds (-118), or the fight to reach a decision (projected +233, listed +230) with the fight at bantamweight (50% decision rate) and with the drastic adjustment on those prices relative to the first fight.
Unless there's further movement toward the plus-money sides of those markets, I'm happy to pass on this matchup.
The Pick: Pass for Now
