Da Un Jung vs. Devin Clark Odds
The UFC Vegas 68 co-main event on Saturday in Las Vegas features a light heavyweight bout between Da Un Jung and Devin Clark.
Jung is a fresh face from the South Korean scene who has been steadily working his way through the division, showing solid improvements along the way.
Clark, on the other hand, has been a staple in the UFC for some time despite having mixed results for roughly half a decade.
Both fighters come from excellent camps and are looking to bounce back from stoppage losses last year, making Saturday's meeting at UFC Vegas 68 (10 p.m. ET, ESPN+) in Las Vegas all the more interesting.
Tale of the Tape
| Da-un | Clark | |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 15-3-1 | 13-7 |
| Avg. Fight Time | 8:13 | 11:10 |
| Height | 6'4" | 6'0" |
| Weight (pounds) | 205 lbs. | 205 lbs. |
| Reach (inches) | 78" | 75" |
| Stance | Orthodox | Orthodox |
| Date of birth | 12/7/1993 | 4/12/1990 |
| Sig Strikes Per Min | 4.05 | 2.94 |
| SS Accuracy | 43% | 55% |
| SS Absorbed Per Min | 3.81 | 2.86 |
| SS Defense | 54% | 44% |
| Take Down Avg | 2.43 | 2.30 |
| TD Acc | 61% | 35% |
| TD Def | 88% | 55% |
| Submission Avg | 0.3 | 0.1 |
From a stylistic standpoint, the dynamic of this matchup is a fairly clear one.
Aside from the height and reach being in Jung's favor, the Korean fighter is a dangerous striker who should carry a decent edge anytime these two are upright. Despite getting caught clean in his last outing opposite Dustin Jacoby, Jung has shown some solid skills when he's able to get going off of his lead hand.
Whether he's utilizing hand traps or a reliable jab, Jung does well at creating opportunities to score damaging shots. And when Jung is feeling in stride, the 29-year-old is not afraid to mix intercepting uppercuts and flying knees into the equation (something I see serving him well in this fight).
Jung has also demonstrated drastic upgrades to his wrestling from both a defensive and offensive standpoint, appearing to be very strong in the clinch.
That said, I'm not sure that the Korean Top Team product will be tying up with a wrestler like Clark as his first option.
Although Clark has made some notable improvements to his striking since switching over to Elevation Fight Team, the UFC veteran ultimately butters his bread with blitzing attacks and well-timed takedowns in the open.
Once able to establish a superior position, Clark does well at controlling the action and can get off surprisingly damaging blows deep into the fight. The smaller octagon could help encourage more grappling entanglements for Clark, but fighting along the fence has produced the highest of highs and lowest of lows for the American thus far.
Jung vs. Clark Pick
The oddsmakers and public are roughly in line with who they're favoring, with the latest UFC odds listing Jung -245 and Clark +205 as of this writing.
Although I took a flier on Clark his last time out, he's typically a fighter whom I look to fade.
Don't get me wrong: Clark seems like a good guy outside of the cage and has the athletic potential to do some great things inside of it. The problem, however, is that it's become quite clear that Clark is beyond uncomfortable when getting hit.
Whether he's being flurried or hit clean, Clark has a bad habit of turning away from his foe and fleeing toward the fence. Not only do I see Jung's size and superior striking making Clark uneasy on the feet, but I also suspect that the Korean fighter's underrated wrestling may get the jump on Clark (who has a costly tendency of surrendering underhooks in close).
Whether Jung is replicating Anthony Smtih's wrestling success in the clinch or is forcing bad shots out of Clark with his strikes, I have a sneaky suspicion that the submission prop is live in this spot.
I made a small sprinkle on Jung "by submission" at +700 but ultimately kicked for coverage and played Jung "inside the distance" at -105 for a unit.
The Pick: Jung wins inside the distance (-105 at DraftKings) | Play to -120
