MMA – Page 45 – Fight Matrix

State of the UFC’s Lightweight Division

Posted on April 4, 2021 by Oleg

Happy Easter! With a rare off-week for the UFC, it seems like a good time to take a look at the state of the lightweight Top 10 – a division where the title belt was recently vacated by Khabib Nurmagomedov, who is apparently retired for good despite Dana White’s best efforts to bring him back for one more fight. A matchup between Michael Chandler and Charles Oliveira has been scheduled for the vacant title, and a few other exciting matches are pending in the division. Let’s take a look at these upcoming fights, as well as a couple others that aren’t scheduled but make perfect sense in my opinion. And if you want to put a few bucks on your favorite lightweight, you can get a piece of the action at 22Bet.

[#1] Dustin Poirier vs [#13] Conor McGregor

Coming off a TKO win over McGregor, the #1 ranked Dustin Poirier should really be fighting for the vacant title. Alas – money talks, the UFC loves ‘rubber matches’, and with Poirier and McGregor both holding a stoppage win over the other, how could they resist a trilogy bout? I would have preferred to see these two in other bouts before a rematch, but the figurative ink on this bout agreement was dry before the official result of the second fight was announced.

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Could We See Francis Ngannou Vs Dillian Whyte After Both Recorded Spectacular Wins?

Posted on March 31, 2021 by A. J. Riot

There was growing speculation in 2020 that fight fans would be treated to a sensational showdown between Francis Ngannou and Dillian Whyte after the two got into a war of words. Indeed, once again, giants from the octagon and boxing ring would come together to shake the very ground we stand on. To those that are on the outside of fighting circles, there may be some confusion as people try to make out what the difference is between MMA and boxing, and why this would be such a unique event?

They may seem like similar sports on paper, but at the same time, they are also worlds apart. It’s a bit like baseball and cricket, badminton and tennis. Perhaps the best example is that of the NFL and AFL which seem alike and are often confused for being the same thing. But this article on how the two sports differ will give you a detailed breakdown of the crucial distinction and comparison between the American and Australian sports. Punters will notice that the gear the players wear is slightly different, similar to the main contrast of boxing and MMA.

In boxing, the gloves weigh 8-10 ounces whilst in MMA they register just 4-6 ounces. Additionally, the different shapes of the playing area is one of the key differences between the NFL and AFL, notably, that is the main distinction between boxing and MMA as well. In this instance, it’s unclear as to where the fight would take place, either the eight-sided octagon or the four corners of the boxing the ring, either way, there is a strong desire to see it happen.

Indeed, the animosity between the two is still there, but interestingly, their career prospects have both dramatically increased after spectacular recent wins. Ngannou was able to brutally knock Stipe Miocic out to claim the UFC heavyweight championship of the world out. Meanwhile, Whyte avenged his initial loss to Alexander Povetkin in just four rounds, setting up a showdown with current WBC champion Tyson Fury.

What a knockout! 💥

Francis Ngannou finishes Stipe Miocic in the second round and is the new UFC Heavyweight Champion! 🏆#UFC260 pic.twitter.com/Zz2uyiHEdp

— UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) March 28, 2021

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Current MMA Rankings Updated (03-28-2021)

Posted on March 28, 2021 by Jason

UFC 260: WHAT WE CAN EXPECT FROM NGANNOU VS MIOCIC 2

Posted on March 27, 2021 by Oleg

The Pennsylvania betting scene would be shocked by Sean O’Malley saying he wants no one to bet on him as he looks to bounce back from his first ever career loss, but will be undoubtedly hyped for the main event of UFC 260, as Ngannou challenges Stipe Miocic once again for the heavyweight title.

Francis Ngannou is going to go up against Stipe Miocic for the second time in his career, hoping for a better result than the last time. That last time was in 2018, at UFC 220, where Ngannou was riding a six-match winning streak since joining the UFC. He was the favorite going onto the match and the stars looked aligned for the Cameroonian who looked primed to become the new heavyweight champion. Ultimately, he would fall short – short of impressing, short of his objective, and short of the title, in an unrecognizable performance that saw the champ clamp down and snuff out Ngannou. Such a high-profile loss would floor anyone mentally, raise cause for doubt, especially when another loss follows it in a match that was supposed to show your ability to bounce back. Ngannou would again take to the octagon to but the title loss behind him, only to be stunned by Derrick Lewis. The predator still would not lose sight of his goal and is now back in the fray after four big wins on the trot and what he believes to be the best version of himself.

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Three Bouts UFC Fans Would Love To See In 2021

Posted on March 22, 2021 by A. J. Riot

There are some exciting UFC cards scheduled to take place over the next couple of months where there is a strong chance titles could change across a number of divisions.

We’ve taken a look at what other major fights may be added to the schedule in 2021 in what is set to be a great year for MMA fans.

Derrick Lewis To Take On Miocic – Ngannou Winner

Texas heavyweight Derrick Lewis is in line to take on the winner of the Stipe Miocic and Francis Ngannou contest at UFC 260. Ngannou is the favorite in the Miocic – Ngannou odds so it could be the challenger who ends the bout with the belt.

Lewis has a record of 25-7 following his victory over Curtis Blaydes. He earned the performance of the Night for that knockout punch which came in the second round of the fight. It was his fourth straight victory inside the octagon.

The Black Beast has only fought for the UFC heavyweight title once before. He lost to Daniel Cormier in 2018 at UFC 230, succumbing to a rear-naked choke. He is a much better fighter now though, so if he did get a shot at Miocic or Ngannou, he would be in with an excellent chance of taking the crown this time.

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Fight Matrix Program – UFC Fight Night: Brunson vs Holland (2021-03-20)

Posted on March 15, 2021 by Jason

Middleweight (185)
[#11] Kevin Holland (21-5-0, -176) vs. [#12] Derek Brunson (21-7-0, +144)
Derek Brunson is the All-Time #43 ranked Middleweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Kevin Holland (3-0-0)
2020-12-12: W vs. [#14MW] Ronaldo Souza (26-9-0) via KO (Punches) in 1:45 of round 1
2020-10-31: W vs. [#251MW] Charlie Ontiveros (11-7-0) via TKO (Submission to Slam) in 2:39 of round 1
2020-09-19: W vs. [#50MW] Darren Stewart (12-6-0) via SD (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Last 3 Fights: Derek Brunson (3-0-0)
2020-08-01: W vs. [#23MW] Edmen Shahbazyan (11-1-0) via TKO (Punches) in 0:26 of round 3
2019-08-17: W vs. [#18MW] Ian Heinisch (14-4-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2019-05-04: W vs. [*] Elias Theodorou (18-3-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

System	Favorite	Rating	Rating Diff	Win %
Betting Odds	Kevin Holland	-176		60.87%
Elo K170	Derek Brunson	2044.18	+121.78	63.56%
Elo Modified	Derek Brunson	2018.54	+143.02	65.16%
Glicko-1	Derek Brunson	2071.21	+99.83	63.98%
WHR	Derek Brunson	1906.42	+111.18	62.43%

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Kevin Holland 98, Derek Brunson 231
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Kevin Holland leads 1-0
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Welterweight (170)
[#72] Max Griffin (16-8-0, -169) vs. [#75] Kenan Song (16-5-0, +138)

Last 3 Fights: Max Griffin (1-2-0)
2020-11-07: W vs. [#277WW] Ramiz Brahimaj (8-3-0) via TKO (Doctor Stoppage) in 2:03 of round 3
2020-03-07: L vs. [#46WW] Alex Oliveira (22-9-1) via SD (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
2019-10-12: L vs. [#62WW] Alex Morono (18-7-0) via UD (29-28, 29-27, 29-27)

Last 3 Fights: Kenan Song (2-1-0)
2020-02-22: W vs. [#177WW] Callan Potter (18-9-0) via KO (Punches) in 2:20 of round 1
2019-08-31: W vs. [*] Derrick Krantz (24-12-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2018-11-24: L vs. [#62WW] Alex Morono (18-7-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

System	Favorite	Rating	Rating Diff	Win %
Betting Odds	Max Griffin	-169		59.92%
Elo K170	Kenan Song	1579.46	+40.43	54.61%
Elo Modified	Max Griffin	1625.50	+37.30	54.07%
Glicko-1	Max Griffin	1676.40	+54.94	57.84%
WHR	Max Griffin	1585.06	+39.69	54.52%

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Max Griffin 133, Kenan Song 392
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
.

Light Heavyweight (205)
[#18] Jamahal Hill (9-0-0, -290) vs. [#25] Paul Craig (14-4-1, +230)

Last 3 Fights: Jamahal Hill (3-0-0)
2020-12-05: W vs. [#27LHW] Ovince St. Preux (25-15-0) via TKO (Punches) in 3:37 of round 2
2020-05-30: W vs. [#43LHW] Klidson Abreu (15-5-0) via TKO (Knee to the Body and Punches) in 1:51 of round 1
2020-01-25: W vs. [#100LHW] Darko Stosic (13-4-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Last 3 Fights: Paul Craig (2-0-1)
2020-11-21: W vs. [#41LHW] Mauricio Rua (27-12-1) via TKO (Punches) in 3:36 of round 2
2020-07-25: W vs. [#123LHW] Gadzhimurad Antigulov (20-8-0) via Submission (Triangle Choke) in 2:06 of round 1
2019-11-16: D vs. [#41LHW] Mauricio Rua (27-12-1) via Draw (Split) in 5:00 of round 3

System	Favorite	Rating	Rating Diff	Win %
Betting Odds	Jamahal Hill	-290		71.04%
Elo K170	Paul Craig	1786.43	+50.43	55.74%
Elo Modified	Paul Craig	1795.05	+21.44	52.35%
Glicko-1	Paul Craig	1845.28	+33.27	54.77%
WHR	Jamahal Hill	1701.48	+40.32	54.59%

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Jamahal Hill 105, Paul Craig 119
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Current MMA Rankings Updated (03-14-2021)

Posted on March 14, 2021 by Jason

UFC Fighters To Watch in 2021

Posted on March 13, 2021 by A. J. Riot

It is remarkable that the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) were able to show 41 events worldwide in 2020, cancelling only five events that year. Within the first six weeks of 2021, there have already been four fight cards including a fight between Max Holloway and Calvin Kattar and a rematch between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor which has been seven years in the making.

The most popular UFC fighters in 2021 will be meeting in the Octagon at venues across the globe. For additional excitement away from the Octagon you can join a licensed online casino like Yukon Gold Casino which offers the chance to win a life-changing jackpot. It may not just be these popular UFC fighters that could experience a life-changing 2021.

Ciryl Gane – Heavyweight

Gane joined the UFC in 2019 after just three professional fights and is currently ranked as a top 10 heavyweight contender after wins against Raphael Pessoa, Don’Tale Mayes and Tanner Boser. His fight with former UFC Heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos ended in a KO win and now Gane is due to meet Jairzinho Rozenstruik. With wins against another former heavy champion Andrei Arlovski and Alistair Overeem, who is arguably one of the best UFC fighters ever, Gane is one to watch in 2021.

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Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski’s 2021 Plans

Posted on March 10, 2021 by Oleg

Alexander Volkanovski has enjoyed an incredible run since his only defeat to Corey Nelson way back in 2013 in Melbourne. Fast forward eight years and he proudly sits at the top of the tree in the featherweight division. He only fought once in 2020, beating Max Holloway on a split decision at UFC 251. He’ll be looking to get at least two fights under his belt in 2021, but let’s take a look at his potential timeline.

1. Ortega at UFC 260

Brian Ortega goes for the belt on the back of a great performance against the Korean Zombie back in October on his return from injury. He really showed how much he’d improved since the Holloway defeat almost two years prior.

He’s priced as the underdog for his fight with the champion at odds of +163 (2.62) with leading betting sites like bet365 and Unibet. This price is a good indicator of just how good Volkanovski is. The Aussie is priced at -200 (1.50) and -188 (1.53) with top Australian betting sites like Unibet and bet365 respectively. They’re both very competitive prices, but bet365 offers slightly better value on the champ.

Volkanovski is clearly entering this fight full of confidence, and he doesn’t feel he’ll have any trouble getting his hand raised on the night:

“The guy’s always been a good fighter,” Volkanovski said in a recent interview. “I talk about his improvements as if he wasn’t good. He’s always been a great fighter and he’s always had a lot of good skills. But I believe he has evolved. This whole ‘Ortega 2.0,’ I believe it. I’ve seen a different fighter in there – even though he’s always been dangerous. He’s always been good at timing and picking the right shots, but right now all the in-betweens he’s just got down pat at the moment. There’s a lot of things that I’ve seen that was impressive, so I’m expecting a new challenge, a tough challenge and a different challenge.

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Champion Kyoji Horiguchi returns in Rizin title fight

Posted on March 7, 2021 by A. J. Riot

Coach Mike Brown had a difficult decision to make. It was in early November when the Japanese government announced that only certain select noncitizens could enter the country for business purposes, if they would quarantine for two weeks upon arrival. That meant Brown, a renowned American MMA coach, was actually able to corner Kyoji Horiguchi in the main event of Rizin which took place on 31 of December at Saitama Super Arena.

However, the trip to Japan and the time that he spent in quarantine, did force Brown to make a sacrifice. And if you are home and you want to do something different with your days, then there’s something great you’re able to do and it’s incredibly easy for you. It’s playing at an online casino. You can find the best one through casimaru.com and you’ll have all the information regarding the casinos in Japan. Remember to play safely and, of course, to have fun, which is highly important. With time, you will adventure more and more and you are able to become a pro when it comes to online casinos.

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UFC Fighters with 20+ Bouts

Posted on March 5, 2021 by Oleg

Of the thousands of professional MMA fighters who have stepped into the UFC Octagon over the years, very few achieved any kind of longevity. Of course it’s the UFC and not the fighters who wield most of the power in the contracts, and the promotion isn’t hesitant to release those who don’t perform up to the management’s expectations. So it’s very impressive when a fighter sticks around for a decade or more, or reaches significant milestones like 5, 10, 20, or 25 bouts.

In this article we will focus on one of those milestones: 20 fights in the UFC. To date, only 73 fighters have lasted long enough to rack up 20 bouts with the promotion. Of course many have gone above and beyond – you can track their progress here: Fighters with Most Bouts in UFC. Or if you’re bored with MMA, you can play the best online roulette games instead.

Let’s take a closer look at ten names near the top of the list who are still actively competing in UFC:

Donald Cerrone – 36 bouts (23-10, 1 NC)

Not only is ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone the most active fighter in the UFC history, he is also the most winningest. Due to his propensity to fight often and take on all comers, it only took him less than 10 years to achieve these accomplishments. Nowadays, Cerrone is at the tail end of his career, as evidenced by his abysmal performance against Conor McGregor. Yet Cerrone soldiers on, and is slated to take on Diego Sanchez – another veteran on our list. The end may be near for the Cowboy but he could pick up another few fights to top off his record before heading out to the pasture.

Jim Miller – 36 (21-14-0, 1 NC)

Tied with Cerrone for most UFC bouts, Jim Miller has been a UFC mainstay for more than a dozen years. He’s never had a title shot, despite at one point winning seven in a row. However he can always be counted on for an exciting fight. Even as Miller was battling Lyme’s disease, he was still fighting other pro’s in the Octagon. Miller was supposed to face Bobby Green in a recent event; however Green had to drop out of the fight at the last minute due to medical issues, denying Miller the sole spot at the top of this list. Jim still fights on, taking on unheralded Joe Solecki in April. It will be interesting to see whether Miller or Cerrone (or someone else?) will ultimately end up with the record.

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The State of the Heavyweight Division: 2021

Posted on March 4, 2021 by Oleg

The first few months of 2021 are heavy on the heavyweight matchups in UFC. We’re coming off back-to-back HW main events, with Cyril Gane defeating Jairzinho Rozenstruik in an uneventful 5-rounder last weekend, and Derrick Lewis brutally knocking out Curtis Blaydes the week before. The Lewis-Blaydes card also had a strong supporting cast of heavyweight veterans and up-and-comers. And a month from now, the reigning and defending champion [#1] Stipe Miocic will defend his title in a rematch with [#2] Francis Ngannou. The winner of that fight will most likely take on Jon ‘Bones’ Jones in the former light-heavyweight champions heavyweight debut. With all these matchups, 2021 is on an early track to be a breakout year for the UFC’s heavyweight division. Let’s take a look at the top 10 heavyweights (most of whom are competing in the UFC), and what this year may hold for them. And if you are a gambling type, you can place a bet on your favorite fighter at sites such as www.comeon.com to make the fights even more exciting.

[#1] (C) Stipe Miocic

Stipe Miocic cemented his legacy as one of the greatest heavyweights of all time when he bested Daniel Cormier in a best of 3 series for the UFC title. He has already defeated his next opponent Francis Ngannou in a rather lopsided decision; however Ngannou racked up four first-round knockouts in his last four fights, which was enough to earn him a rematch with Miocic. If Stipe can once again fend off Francis, a matchup with Jon Jones could be next. Should Stipe win this one as well, his name will definitely be in the GOAT discussion.

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What’s Coming for the UFC 259: Sports Betting

Posted on March 1, 2021 by A. J. Riot

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UFC 259: Błachowicz vs. Adesanya is already next month, and mixed martial arts enthusiasts and bettors are excited to predict who will win the championships. The event will happen at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Although the UFC 259 is still a month away, and there might be changes in the line-up due to COVID-19, the current line-up is stacked. Aside from Adesanya vs. Blachowicz, Amanda Nunes and Petr Yan are also slated to defend their titles.

Jan Błachowicz vs. Israel Adesanya

There has been a lot of Sports Buzz already about the upcoming UFC 259, especially about the main event between Adesanya and Blachowicz for the light heavyweight belt. The reigning UFC middleweight titleholder, Asedanya, is up against the 205-pound champion, Blachowicz.

Israel Adesanya made his UFC debut three years back. Since his debut, he has nine wins, making him undefeated up to this day, four of which were by knockout. He is known to be an incredible kickboxer with great movement and power.

Jan Błachowicz, on the other hand, made his UFC debut in October 2017 and amassed a record of 8 wins and one loss inside the Octagon. He is still fresh from his light heavyweight title win against Dominick Reyes via a second-round knockout. The start of his career was up and down. However, he turned things around and won eight of his last nine fights.

Amanda Nunes vs. Megan Anderson

Amanda Nunes is the reigning featherweight and bantamweight champ. She is widely considered the greatest female fighter in Mixed Martial Arts history. She is the number one pound-for-pound female fighter. This fight will mark her second consecutive defense for the featherweight title.

Megan Anderson is a former Invicta FC featherweight champ, with a record of 3 wins and 2 losses in the UFC. Each of her last four fights ended in the first round. Her latest win was against Norma Dumont Viana, where she knocked out the latter in the first round.

Petr Yan vs. Aljamain Sterling

Up for the bantamweight title are Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling. Y an has been undefeated throughout his UFC career. He won his first UFC title against Jose Aldo, finishing at the fifth round. He also won against Jimmie Rivera, Urijah Faber, and John Dodson. He is set to defend his bantamweight title in this fight.

Aljamain Sterling, on the other hand, won five straight and seven of the eight UFC fights throughout his UFC career. He is fresh from his first-round submission against Cory Sandhagen, winning at a rear-naked choke. His smooth movements and strong kicks might win him the bantamweight title this time.

Aleksandar Rakić vs. Thiago Santos

For this light heavyweight bout, Rakic and Santos are looking to position themselves for a shot at the title. Rakic has won most of his fights via knockout. He also said previously that he is confident in dominating the fight and winning the title. His UFC status is at 5 wins and one loss.

On the other hand, Thiago Santos also won the majority of his fights via knockout. Although he dropped two fights in a row, it should be remembered that he rose through the ranks and won against the current UFC light heavyweight champ, Jan Blachowicz. He also fought and won against Jon Jones despite being injured.

Sean Brady vs. Jake Matthews

These rising welterweights are up for a fight on UFC 259. Sean Brady is a former Cage Fury FC welterweight champ. He is also unbeaten during his MMA career. He has already won against Ismail Naurdiev, Court McGee, and Christian Aguilera since starting his UFC career.

Jake Matthews, on the other hand, will make his 2021 debut as a winner of the last three fights he’s been in. He had victories over Diego Sanchez and Emil Meek. He suffered back-to-back losses but has bounced back since moving to 170 pounds, winning six of his past seven fights.

Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Carlos Ulberg

Carlos Ulberg is set to step inside the octagon for the first time after a very good performance in an episode of Dana White’s Contender Series. He will fight against fellow Dana White’s Contender Series contestant, Kennedy Nzechukwu. Nzechukwu freshly came from a unanimous decision win against Darko Stosic.

Rogério Bontorin vs. Kai Kara-France

Rogério Bontorin is looking to bounce back from a loss in his first UFC fight against Ray Borg. Before such loss, he garnered a split decision against Magomed Bibulatov and a technical knockout against Raulian Paiva.

Meanwhile, Kai Kara-France went with one win and one loss in 2020. He defeated Tyson Nam in a unanimous decision in February 2020. He then returned in September 2020 and was submitted by Brandon Royal via a guillotine choke.

Takeaway

The UFC 259 is only a month away. Sports bettors are excited to make a bet on their favorites. After knowing the brief fighting history and record of the contenders, you should now know who to bet on the coming fight this March.

Which markets should you choose if you decide to bet on MMA?

Posted on February 27, 2021 by A. J. Riot

People like MMA for many reasons. Some like the sport because it’s fun to watch, whereas others noticed that some of the leading online bookies offer great odds and markets that are not available elsewhere.

If you like MMA, you will notice that some of the gambling industry’s biggest names cover several championships. Even though all of them are interesting, most people like the UFC because it is the most popular one.

Regardless of which competition you go for, you will notice that most betting sites offer different kinds of markets. If you read this full review of MELbet, you will see that there are a few options at your disposal. This means that you need to choose one of them and enter the amount of money you want to bet with.

However, choosing one market over the other is not as easy as it seems. There are many things that you should take into account, so let’s take a look at which are some of the most popular MMA betting markets that you could try out.

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Fun facts about MMA and the UFC you should know before you start betting

Posted on February 27, 2021 by A. J. Riot

If you have been betting on a specific sport for many years and want to try out something new, you will discover there are many options out there, such as MMA.

This sport has been around for several years, but it became trendy just recently. Competitions, such as the UFC, helped popularize mixed martial arts, which is why almost every betting website that you will come across allows its clients to place a bet on this fantastic combat sport.

As you can probably guess, you have to check the markets, odds, and a few other things before you start betting. Make sure you read more about Betway, and you will find everything you need for MMA and any other sport because this is one of the biggest names in the industry.

Before you do that, though, let’s check out a few interesting facts about this sport and the UFC.

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