Fanil Rafikov enters Fight Nights 136 rematch as massive 6.35 underdog

Fanil Rafikov (25-6) will face Andrey Goncharov (17-4) in the main event of Fight Nights 136 on April 24 in Rostov-on-Don. Bookmakers have installed Rafikov as a 6.35 underdog, despite the fact that their first meeting seven years ago was at a lighter weight class and Rafikov performed well before being knocked out. The post argues this is an absurd line given Rafikov's three-year unbeaten streak and quality wins over fighters like Nariman Abbasov, Marif Piraev, and Ray Cooper III. The author notes that this betting line is more lopsided than Sean Strickland's odds against Khamzat Chimaev, though he emphasizes he's not guaranteeing a Rafikov victory.