Anshul Jubli will take on Jeka Saragih in the prelims of UFC Vegas 68. This particular lightweight fight will headline the preliminary portion of the event. The main card of the event will feature Derrick Lewis vs Sergey Spivak as the headlining fight. The prelim bout between Anshul and Jeka will be the final of “Road to UFC.”
The 4 #RoadToUFC finals on February 4th during #UFCVegas68.
— Marcel Dorff 🇳🇱🇮🇩 (@BigMarcel24) January 7, 2023
LW
– Anshul Jubli vs. Jeka Saragih
FW
– Jeong Young Lee vs. Yi Zha
BW
– Toshiomi Kazama vs. Rinya Nakamura
FLYW
– Seung Guk Choi vs. Sung Hyun Park pic.twitter.com/mybNzCOLxj
Jeka Saragih beat Bin Ki-won and Pawan Maan Singh on his way to the final. Anshul Jubli, on the other hand, beat Kyung Pyo Kim in the semi-final of the competition to reach the final. The winner will be awarded a UFC contract. While Indonesian fighter Jeka has only 2 losses in his career, Anshul, who hails from India, is unbeaten.
Both Indonesia and India are severely underrepresented in the world of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). While some fighters from India have featured in some big fights in major MMA promotions, the country is yet to see a dominant fighter tearing it up in the UFC. So the winner of the fight will definitely be in a position to put their respective countries on the map for the sport.
UFC Vegas 68: Jeka Saragih vs Anshul Jubli, Stats
| Stats | Jeka Saragih | Anshul Jubli |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 13 | 6 |
| Losses | 2 | 0 |
| Height | 1.73 m | 1.83 m |
| Division | Lightweight | Lightweight |
| Reach | 175.3 cm | 175.3 cm |
| Age | 28 | 28 |
Saragih vs Jubli: Fight Breakdown
Jeka Saragih started his MMA career in 2016. Notably, he lost the very first fight of his career against Kevin Sulistio via submission. Since then, Jeka has built up a respectable record of 13-2. Other than his first fight, Jeka’s only other loss came against Angga Hans via submission in 2020. So it does show a pattern that his opponent, this weekend. should look to exploit.
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Born in 1995, Jeka has a great finishing rate. Only 1 of his 13 wins has come via judges’ decision. He has 8 KOs and 4 submissions. So fans can definitely expect to see a very aggressive approach against Anshul Jubli. Jubli started fighting in 2019 and currently has a record of 6-0. But, in complete contrast to his opponent, Anshul only has 2 finishes in his career. His previous opponent, Pyo Kim, out-landed him and secured 4 takedowns.
But Anshul got a much-needed knockdown, which swayed two of the judges to score the fight for him. So the “King of Lions” definitely has power in his hands. The 28-year-old will have to be careful about being too defensive against Jeka Saragih. Although Jubli averaged 6.47 strikes per minute, he also absorbed 6.67 at the same time.
So Anshul will have to find a balance between aggression and defense. But, as Jeka’s two submission losses suggest, Jubli may have a better chance of getting a finish on the ground. Although Saragih only lands 3.45 strikes per minute, he also absorbs only 1.52 in return. So hitting him will prove to be a hard task. Saragih averages 2.98 takedowns per fight, with 100% accuracy.
While it may give him a better shot at tiring Anshul out and securing a stoppage win, it also keeps him open to get caught in a submission move. On paper, it appears that Jeka Saragih is the favorite to win, but fans should not be surprised if Judli walks away with the win.
