Taiyilake Nueraji and Kiefer Crosbie meet in the main card opener of UFC Fight Night 257 at Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.
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Taiyilake Nueraji vs. Kiefer Crosbie UFC Shanghai preview
The UFC Fight Night 257 main card starts with a welterweight bout between China’s own Nueraji, who brings a five-fight winning streak to his UFC debut after some delays in his post-Road to UFC run. Ireland’s Crosbie came to the UFC in 2023, but has two first-round submission losses in his two years in the promotion.
Taiyilake Nueraji vs. Kiefer Crosbie UFC Shanghai expert pick, prediction
Kicking off the main card is an impromptu welterweight fight between Taiyilake Nueraji and Kiefer Crosbie.
Crosbie, who was initially slated to face Kenan Song, will now meet Road to UFC product Nueraji.
A large athlete who trains with other Chinese fighters like Maheshate, Nueraji is an all-action prospect who throws with reckless abandon. Nueraji also has a serviceable takedown game that will likely come in handy against Crosbie, but the 24-year-old doesn’t appear to have a ton of depth in his ground game at this stage of his career.
Crosbie has looked nothing short of beatable in his last couple of outings, but it is important to note that the Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt was basically training himself for his past few fights and has now relocated to Xtreme Couture MMA in Las Vegas, Nevada.
I’ll be curious to see what Crosbie’s work with Eric Nicksick and company will produce, as I suggest leaving some room to be surprised.
Although I can understand why bettors like Nueraji, I’m not sure an untested product that disregards defense should be a 5-1 betting favorite over anyone.
It’s not a popular pick, but I’ll take a reluctant flier on Crosbie to score an upset via knockout in Round 2.
Taiyilake Nueraji vs. Kiefer Crosbie UFC Shanghai odds
The oddsmakers and the public are heavily favoring the Chinese fighter, listing Nueraji (-500) and Crosbie (+385) via FanDuel.
Taiyilake Nueraji vs. Kiefer Crosbie UFC Shanghai start time, how to watch
As the main card opener, Nueraji and Crosbie are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 6:15 a.m. ET. The fight streams live on ESPN+.
