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UFC 275: Best Bets
Glover Teixeira vs. Jiri Prochazka Best BetUnder 3 1/2 Rounds (-300)There is a realistic chance that I’m going overboard here, as this fight could end earlier. After all, twenty-six of […]
| Glover Teixeira vs. Jiri Prochazka Best Bet Under 3 1/2 Rounds (-300) There is a realistic chance that I’m going overboard here, as this fight could end earlier. After all, twenty-six of Prochazka’s thirty-two professional fight have not made it past round one. Of the remaining six, only two have seen a round three – although one of the fights that didn’t, was a two-round decision. Still, a finisher to the core, Prochazka isn’t one to be in the cage for all that long. Teixeira on the other hand, can be a mixed bag. Of his forty professional fights, twenty-seven haven’t seen a round two. However, five of his last six fights ended inside the distance – four of which have been under the the 3 1/2 rounds mark. |
| Valentina Shevchenko vs. Taila Santos Best Bet Shevchenko wins Inside the distance (+130) Any time Shevchenko steps inside the octagon, it’s a treat. And while the competition has fluctuated, Shevchenko has been a constant. Winning eight straight fights, with three of the last four coming via stoppage, Shevchenko winning inside the distance at plus money seems too good to pass on. Obviously Santos is a good fighter, but she doesn’t possess anything Shevchenko hasn’t seen before. Not trying to compare or contrast, but Shevchenko has finished opponents with similar, if not better abilities than Santos. Lastly, having never fought for twenty-five minutes, I’m curious as to how Santos’ gas tank will fare with not only an extra ten minutes, but against the pound for pound queen. |
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| Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. Zhang Weili Best Bet Joanna Jedrzejczyk moneyline (+140) If there is anything certain, it’s going to be the fact that we wished this fight were five rounds again. Sensing another barnburner, I’m in the belief that this will be a close fight. Especially when you consider that in the first fight, round three was the only round scored the same by all three judges. Knowing that this fight could be eerily similar, why not take the underdog in Jedrzejczyk? With two years off, and time to mentally reset, Jedrzejczyk should realistically enter that octagon recharged. Obviously no disrespect to Weili, who is a beast and former Champion herself. However, she is coming into this fight with pressure. Having lost two straight, albeit the last being close, there could be that proverbial wall against the back. Either way, in what should be a close fight, it’s hard no to look at the dog. |
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| Jack Della Maddalena vs. Ramazan Emeev Best Bet Jack Della Maddalena moneyline (-155) Unless Emeev blankets the Aussie, there is only one guy that is going to inflict damage – Maddalena. Given the rules have the judges weigh damage the heaviest upon there scoring, Maddalena has an instant edge in the fight. With good BJJ and the ability to pop back up, even if Emeev lands a takedown, I doubt he will be able to hold position. Especially in the later rounds, as Maddalena’s cardio outlasts Emeev. At a sound moneyline like this, it’s hard to pass on Maddalena. |
| Andre Fialho vs. Jake Matthews Best Bet Andre Fialho (-145) The ultimate warrior, Fialho returns to the octagon seeking his third win in a mere fifty-six days. Personally, I think he gets it done. A fearsome striker, with excellent power, Fialho looks like a player at Welterweight. Matthews being his toughest test during this fifty-six day stretch, does present some issues and or questions to be answered. The main one being Fialho’s takedown defense. A potential concern, given Matthews’ wrestling abilities. However, Matthews has rarely controlled opponents for long stretches and I’m not certain he’s the guy who will penetrate a vulnerability. Having realistically defeated only one top fighter(Li Jingliang) in fifteen UFC fights, I don’t even see Matthews as reliable to get the job done. |
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| Rapid Fire Best Bets Danaa Batgerel (-135) – Against a tough opponent, yet one who is always involved in close fights, Batgerel brings violence to the octagon. Not looking to go to the scorecards, Batgerel is a powerful striker who will look to turn your lights off. Meanwhile, his opponent Kang, is well rounded, but not someone who is overly dominating opponents. With four of his last seven fights resulting in split decisions, if this one is close, Batgerel should win alone on damage. Hayisaer Maheshate (+150) – Despite the lack of inexperience and the most recent fight seeing Maheshate get stunned a few times before ultimately rallying back, he looks the part of a fighter who can finds success in the octagon. Obviously Garcia is a tough opponent, but he did get dropped twice in his last fight before too rallying back to win. One of the aspects that aided him to victory though, was the fact that his opponent has zero takedown defense. Maheshate on the other hand, seems way tougher to take down. And if Garcia finds himself in trouble, I don’t think he can get bailed out with his wrestling. Na Liang (+115) – Opponent Silvana Gomez Juarez is 0-2 inside the octagon, losing both times by armbar. Gomez being a striker, who clearly has decencies in her grappling, one would see value in Liang. A wrestler and grappler, who looks to get the fight to the mat early. To me, that’s all I need to hear. Ramona Pascual (+135) – With this fight taking place at Featherweight, I really like Pascual. Not having to kill herself to get down to Bantamweight, her size, cardio and durability should all play roles in aiding her to victory. Edwards, who has been taken down nine times and controlled for nearly twenty-three minutes in her last two fights, jumps up in weight thinking her flaws won’t be exacerbated? Especially against an opponent who looks for takedowns and is big for the weight class? Glover Teixeira wins inside the distance (+250) – With Jiri Prochazka being a wild and frantic fighter and having question marks surrounding his takedown defense, I find it hard not to like this juicy line for Teixeira. Throughout the Brazilian’s career, he’s proven that even if he’s hurt, he will still push hard for that takedown. And being on the ground with him, can be game over. |
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