UFC Archives - Keno Wizard

Geoff Neal vs. Ian Machado Garry UFC 298 Odds, Time, and Prediction

admin — Wed, 14 Feb 2024 06:11:48 +0000

Our Geoff Neal vs. Ian Machado Garry prediction is that we’re going to see a real bloodbath because these two hate each other. These two were supposed to meet last year, and in the build-up to the fight, some really nasty words were exchanged. Garry wore a T-shirt with Neal’s mugshot on it.

Geoff Neal vs. Ian Machado Garry Odds

Moneyline	Odds
Geoff Neal	+180
Ian Machado	-210

*Odds taken from BetOnline on Tuesday, February 13.

10510 players claimed the offer this month

When, Where, and How to Watch?

Place: Honda Center, Anaheim (Los Angeles), California
Date: Saturday, February 17, 2023
Time: 11:00 p.m. ET
How to Watch: PPV

Geoff Neal Wants to Humble Garry at UFC 298

Geoff Neal hates Garry’s guts, but he’s not the only one. It’s not crazy to say that the Irishman is one of the most hated fighters in the UFC right now. Some of the hate he’s been getting is a reaction to Garry’s own comments made in bad taste.

However, he’s been also getting a lot of hate for things going on in his personal life, with some fighters like Sean Strickland mocking him for taking his wife’s last name.

Knowing this, it’s almost certain that the crowd at Honda Center is going to be on Neal’s side. But will this help the 33-year-old? It might, because his confidence probably isn’t sky-high.

The thing is that Neal is 15-5 and used to be thought of as the next big thing in the welterweight division, especially after beating Belal Muhammad and Mike Pery in 2019.

However, since then, he lost three of his five fights. In his most recent fight, he lost to Shavkat Rakhmonov by submission. Now, almost a year later, he’s fighting another up-and-coming fighter, who, same as Rakhmonov, is still undefeated.

Ian Machado Garry Wanna Continue His Fantastic Run

There’s no doubt that Ian Machado Garry (13-0) is a fantastic fighter. He’s taller than an average welterweight with a long reach and incredible power. This explains why seven of his 13 wins happened by KO/TKO.

He’s also great when it comes to wrestling, although he uses these skills most for defense. This explains why he’s only suffered four takedowns in his six UFC fights, recovering from it each time.

Even though he’s only 26, Machado Garry has already fought several elite fighters, including Neil Magny, Daniel Rodriguez, and Song Kenan. However, none of these guys are ranked as high in the UFC Welterweight Rankings as his next opponent.

Geoff Neal vs. Ian Machado Garry Prediction

This is a real test for Ian Machado Garry to show the world that he’s actually someone who can challenge the title in the future. He’ll be fighting his toughest opponent so far and he’ll have the crowd booing him. Will “The Future” be able to overcome this?

We think he will. Based on what we’ve seen from this guy so far, he’s got a very bright future in the UFC.

Pick: Ian Machado Garry

The post Geoff Neal vs. Ian Machado Garry UFC 298 Odds, Time, and Prediction appeared first on Keno Wizard.

Brendan Allen vs. Paul Craig UFC on ESPN+ 90 Odds, Time, and Prediction

admin — Tue, 14 Nov 2023 09:05:31 +0000

Brendan Allen is a huge -400 to win the UFC on ESPN+ 90 main event. He’s 22-5 overall with five wins in a row in the UFC, four of which happened by submission. The bad news for him is that his next opponent is another grappling expert. The main in question is Paul Craig who’s 17-6-1 overall with 13 wins by submission.

Brendan Allen vs. Paul Craig UFC On ESPN+ 90Odds

Moneyline	Odds
Brendan Allen	-104
Paul Craig	+280

*Odds taken from FanDuel Sportsbook on Tuesday, November 14.

When, Where, and How to Watch?

Place: UFC Apex in Enterprise (Las Vegas), Nevada
Date: Saturday, November 19, 2023
Time: 10:00 p.m. ET
How to Watch: ESPN+

Reasons Why Brendan Allen is a -400 Favorite

Brendan Allen is a fighter whose fights are great to watch. The evidence of this is that he won the Performance of the Night bonus in two of his last three fights. He’s a fantastic grappler who won each of his last three fights by submission.

This guy also lands a lot of punches and kicks as well. He lands 3.96 significant strikes per minute, which is actually a very high number, especially considering that he’s primarily a grappler. In his most recent fight, he knocked down Bruno Silva, and he did the same on a couple of other occasions.

When it comes to his wins by KO/TKO, he’s got five victories by this method, the last of which happened in 2020 against Tom Breese.

Paul Craig Ready to Upset the Odds (Again)

Paul Craig a.k.a. “Bearjew” is a guy who got us used to staging upsets. So far in his 10+ years-long MMA career, we saw him defeat a number of big favorites, most notably Magomed Ankalaev, Jamahal Hill, and Nikita Krylov.

The Scottish fighter is incredibly fun to watch in the Octagon, the evidence being that he’s won eight Performance of the Night bonuses in his UFC career. The last of those happened in his most recent fight, in which he beat Andre Muniz by a TKO.

That fight is interesting for another reason – it was Craig’s middleweight debut. Before that, he was fighting in the light heavyweight division for nearly a decade.

He’s a big guy who’s two inches taller than his next opponent. He also has a one-inch longer reach than Allen.

Brendan Allen vs. Paul Craig Prediction

Paul Craig was a -500 favorite against Magomed Ankalaev who was undefeated at the time. That didn’t stop “Bearjew” from beating him by submission. We think he can do the same to Brendan Allen on November 18.

Pick: Paul Craig

The post Brendan Allen vs. Paul Craig UFC on ESPN+ 90 Odds, Time, and Prediction appeared first on Keno Wizard.

Jailton Almeida vs. Derrick Lewis UFC Fight Night 231 Odds, Time, and Prediction

admin — Mon, 30 Oct 2023 10:22:33 +0000

UFC Fight Night 231 is going to be the first event held in Brazil in three years. More than ten Brazilians are expected to go in the Octagon on Saturday, most notably, Jailton Almeida, who’s fighting a heavyweight duel with Derrick Lewis in the main event of the evening.

The Brazilian fighter is a huge favorite to get his 15^th straight win, but Lewis mustn’t be underestimated. This is a guy with a nuclear option in his fists, who’s got a knockout-to-win ratio of 81.48%.

Jailton Almeida vs. Derrick Lewis Odds

Moneyline	Odds
Jailton Almeida	-560
Derrick Lewis	+370

*Odds taken from FanDuel on Monday, October 30.

When, Where, and How to Watch?

Place: Ginasio do Ibipuera in Sao Paulo, Brazil
Date: Saturday, November 4, 2023
Time: 11:00 p.m. ET
How to Watch: ESPN+

Reasons Why Jailton Almeida Is -560 Favorite

Jailton Almeida is 19-2 overall with those two defeats happening early in his professional career. In fact, this guy has all wins in his last 14 fights. Five of those wins happened in the UFC, and three of those earned him the Performance of the Night bonus.

He’s already fought two fights this year. In January, we saw him beat Shamil Abdurakhimov by a technical knockout. Four months later, he defeated Jairzinho Rozenstruik by submission. The win over Rozenstruik is important because the Surinamese athlete is a similar type of fighter to Almeida’s next opponent.

Both Lewis and Rozenstruik are famous for the devastating power of their punches, but this doesn’t seem to worry Almeida too much. This guy knows how to defend, the evidence being that he’s got hit only nine times since joining the UFC.

Can Derrick Lewis Stage an Upset at UFC Sao Paulo?

Derrick Lewis is the UFC record-holder for most knockout/technical knockout wins. He’s got incredible punching power, but he is slow. He lands just 2.60 significant strikes per minute, which might not be enough for Almeida.

Plus, he just isn’t great when it comes to wrestling, with his takedown defense being only 52%. The last time he lost a fight – last February to Serghei Spivac – we saw Lewis suffer six takedowns.

This could be a real problem for him given that Almeida is a real takedown king who makes 6.40 TDs per fight. That’s more than any opponent Lewis has fought in his nine-and-a-half years-long UFC career.

Jailton Almeida vs. Derrick Lewis Prediction

Our prediction for the UFC Fight Night 231 main event is that it won’t last too long. Instead, we predict that Almeida will take Lewis down and finish him. We can’t say we’re sure about how he’s going to do it, but classic ground-and-pound seems like the most probable scenario.

Pick: Jailton Almeida to win

The post Jailton Almeida vs. Derrick Lewis UFC Fight Night 231 Odds, Time, and Prediction appeared first on Keno Wizard.

SPRIBE Secures Major Marketing Deal with UFC

admin — Sat, 21 Oct 2023 16:17:20 +0000

The UFC has unveiled a brand new partnership with SPRIBE, the iGaming company behind the world’s biggest crash game. The multi-year marketing partnership will see the provider’s brand promoted across many of UFC’s biggest live events.

According to the announcement, SPRIBE’s brand will feature at select UFC Pay-Per-Views and Fight Nights. The company logo will be visible inside the Octagon and will be integrated into the championships’ live telecasts.

Furthermore, the agreement provides for an annual brand ambassador fund that will bolster the partnership through live activations, content and special campaigns with UFC pros.

The next activation between the two parties is scheduled for the upcoming UFC 294: MAKHACHEV VS VOLKANOVSKI 2. The fight is scheduled for October 21 and will see lightweight champion Islam Makhachev rematch Alexander Volkanovski, the No. 2 pound-for-pound ranked fighter in the world.

Meanwhile, the co-main event will feature a welterweight fight between Khamzat Chimaev and the reigning welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman.

The Deal Will Catapult Aviator into the Stratosphere

SPRIBE, which is the company behind the crucially-acclaimed crash game Aviator, was founded in 2018. The company quickly rose to global prominence, currently bolstering agreements with over 2,000 operators. One of its big recent deals saw SPRIBE team up with FSB.

UFC’s senior vice president of global partnerships, Grant Norris-Jones, commented on the new deal, saying that his team is “thrilled to welcome SPRIBE” to the roster of UFC partners. He praised the provider’s engaging titles, highlighting their popularity among UFC fans.

SPRIBE creates the kind of next-gen games that have strong appeal for UFC fans because they offer a unique experience, with exciting features, stunning graphics, and engaging gameplay. We’re excited to help them achieve a broader reach for their brand and their games.

Grant Norris-Jones, VP global partnerships, UFC

SPRIBE’s chief commercial officer, Giorgi Tsutskiridze, also shared his thoughts on the matter, saying that this is a significant partnership for his company. As a result of the deal, Aviator, which already exceeds 10 million monthly players, will be “catapulted into the stratosphere.”

Tsutskiridze praised the UFC for its commitment to entertainment, saying that this is the start of a “strong and valuable marketing partnership.”

UFC is an entertainment business at heart and knows exactly how to get people on the edge of their seats by providing fast-paced action inside the Octagon. Aviator does that also, but with players able to enjoy the thrill ride of the games from their smartphone.

Giorgi Tsutskiridze, CCO, SPRIBE

In other news, SPRIBE just signed a major deal with Light & Wonder, foraying into the lucrative US market.

The post SPRIBE Secures Major Marketing Deal with UFC appeared first on Keno Wizard.

Benoit Saint-Denis vs. Thiago Moises UFC Paris Odds, Time, and Prediction

admin — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 05:15:39 +0000

Benoit Saint-Denis is a former French commando who’s got a 100% finish rate since the start of his MMA career. Most of his finishes happened via submission, but it’s going to be hard to do the same this time. It’s because the Frenchman is taking on Brazilian jiu-jitsu expert Thiago Moises.

Benoit Saint-Denis vs. Thiago Moises Odds

Moneyline	Odds
Benoit Saint-Denis	-155
Thiago Moises	+125

*Odds taken from BetUS on Wednesday, August 30, 2023.

When, Where, and How to Watch?

Place: Accor Arena in Paris, France
Date: Saturday, September 2
Time: ~2:00 p.m. ET
How to Watch: ESPN+

Benoit Saint-Denis Preparing Another Finish

Benoit Saint-Denis is 11-1-1 overall, with his only loss happening to Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos. The Frenchman lost by decision, but that fight was somewhat controversial. First of all, Saint-Denis got kicked in the groin by his opponent, which must’ve had an impact on his performance. Further, it was later revealed that dos Santos was using a banned substance.

When it comes to Saint-Denis’s no contest, it happened in the early days of his career when he and his opponent clashed heads by accident. This guy is without a loss inside the distance, but all of his 11 wins happened this way. Two happened by knockout/technical knockout, while the remaining nine were submission wins.

Saint-Denis has been making 3.80 takedowns per fight in the UFC, which is evidence not only of his skills but also of his strength. He also lands 4.11 significant strikes per minute and gets hit 6.14 times. But he obviously doesn’t mind getting hit as he’s never been knocked out or even knocked down in his UFC career.

Thiago Moses Does Have Some Advantages Over His French Rival

Thiago Moses is 17-6 with just under 50% of his wins happening by submission. This is no surprise as he’s a BJJ black belt. You may argue that he’s better on the floor than Saint-Denis, the proof being that he’s defeated some really decent grapplers/wrestlers by this method – Bobby Green, Alexander Hernandez, Christos Giagos, and so on.

He also fought Islam Makhachev once and lost only after 17 minutes and 38 seconds. Moses took down his Dagestani rival once and even attempted a submission, but it failed. Then, it went just the opposite – Makhachev beat him with a rear naked choke.

It remains his only loss by submission, and only his second by a finish (the other one was a TKO loss to Joel Alvarez). All the other of his defeats happened by decision.

Benoit Saint-Denis vs. Thiago Moises Prediction

Benoit Saint-Denis is bigger and stronger than Thiago Moses. He’s also a much better striker and is even a better wrestler. Moses, however, is probably a more technical grappler, so we’re not sure if the French fighter is actually going to be able to finish him. But we do think Saint-Denis will triumph in the end whether by another finish or decision.

Pick: Benoit Saint-Denis to win

The post Benoit Saint-Denis vs. Thiago Moises UFC Paris Odds, Time, and Prediction appeared first on Keno Wizard.

Vicente Luque vs. Rafael dos Anjos UFC on ESPN 51 Odds, Time, and Prediction

admin — Mon, 07 Aug 2023 10:08:05 +0000

Vicente Luque and Rafael dos Anjos are generally considered to be among the best grapplers on the planet. More than 50% of Luque’s wins happened by submission, and he’s without a single loss by this method in over a decade.

Rafael dos Anjos’s grappling stats are equally great – this guy’s won almost one-third of his fights by submission. Further, he’s without a single loss by submission in his 21 years long career, which saw him fight some incredible opponents, including the legendary Khabib.

But all this doesn’t necessarily mean the Luque vs. dos Anjos is going to be a grappling contest; these two are also great striking-wise. That said, it’s clear MMA fans will have a feast on August 12, but which of these two will have his arm raised high in the end? Let’s find out!

Vicente Luque vs. Rafael dos Anjos Odds

Moneyline	Odds
Vicente Luque	-102
Rafael dos Anjos	-125

*Odds taken from FanDuel on Monday, August 7, 2023.

When, Where, and How to Watch?

Place: UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada
Date: Saturday, August 12
Time: 10:00 p.m. ET
How to Watch: ESPN

Vicente Luque Hoping to Revive the Hype

Back in 2021, then-29-year-old Vicente Luque was discussed as one of the potential title candidates in the UFC Welterweight division. At the year end, he had a 21-7-1 record, with four straight wins in the UFC, each of which happened inside the distance. For three of those wins, “The Silent Assassin” won the Performance of the Night bonus.

But then the year 2022 came. In April, Luque fought Belal Muhammad in what was a sort of title eliminator fight. The Brazilian did land more strikes than “Remember the Name,” but he got taken down five times by the Chicago-based wrestling expert. He did manage to sneak out and get back to his feet each time, but that just wasn’t enough – he lost the fight by unanimous decision.

Then, less than three months later, Luque agreed to fight quick-handed Geoff Neal, which proved to be a mistake. Neal showed the world why his nickname is “Handz of Steel.” He KO-ed Luque in round 3. However, props to Luque for fighting for so long. He got hit so many times in the head in that fight but was not willing to surrender until his body just switched off.

Twelve months after suffering his first-ever knockout loss, Luque is coming back to the Octagon. This time, he’s not fighting a KO expert, but a veteran who’s one of the best grapplers on the planet.

Rafael Dos Anjos Wants to Take the Fight to the Ground

Rafael Dos Anjos is 32-14 overall with 11 wins by submission and no losses by this method, even though he’s faced some really elite grapplers/wrestlers, including Khabib Nurmagomedov. Actually, dos Anjos it the man who came the closest to inflicting Khabib his first and only loss. He was literally moments away from putting the Dagestani legend to sleep, but luck wasn’t on his side that day.

Nevertheless, the fight with Khabib remains one of the highlights of his career. Of course, we also mustn’t forget that he’s a former UFC Lightweight champ who defeated Anthony Pettis in the fight for the title, as well as defended the championship belt against Donald Cerrone.

However, all those fights happened a long time ago. Now a 38-year-old, dos Anjos is slowly approaching the end of his career. He did win his most recent fight – against Bryan Barberena last December – but before that, we saw a couple of disappointing performances from the Brazilian.

Vicente Luque vs. Rafael dos Anjos Prediction

Rafael dos Anjos is one of the biggest takedown experts in the UFC, and we think he can take Luque down. However, Luque is so good at sneaking out from opponent’s clenches that we have no doubt he’s gonna get back on his feet every time dos Anjos makes a TD.

That said, we think this fight will last until the final bell, after which the judges will probably score in dos Anjos’s favor.

Pick: Rafael dos Anjos to win by decision

The post Vicente Luque vs. Rafael dos Anjos UFC on ESPN 51 Odds, Time, and Prediction appeared first on Keno Wizard.

Jan Blachowicz vs. Alex Pereira UFC 291 Odds, Time, and Prediction

admin — Tue, 25 Jul 2023 09:37:27 +0000

Alex Pereira is making his UFC Light Heavyweight debut this weekend, and he’s taking on a former champion, Jan Blachowicz. “Poatan” is one of the best kickboxers on the planet, but his wrestling is nowhere near Blachowicz’s level. So, which style of fighting will prevail in the UFC 291 co-main event? Let’s see!

Jan Blachowicz vs. Alex Pereira Odds

Moneyline	Odds
Jan Blachowicz	-125
Alex Pereira	-102

*Odds taken from FanDuel on Tuesday, July 25, 2023.

When, Where, and How to Watch?

Place: Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah
Date: Saturday, July 29
Time: 10:00 p.m. ET
How to Watch: PPV

Jan Blachowicz to Outwrestle Pereira?

Jan Blachowicz is a well-rounded fighter with a 29-9-1 record in his professional MMA career, which started more than 16 years ago. He’s got nine wins by KO/TKO in his portfolio, and as many submission wins. Further, he’s got 11 wins by decision. When it comes to his losses, two happened by knockout, two by submission, and five by decision.

The Polish fighter also has one draw in his portfolio, which happened in his most recent fight. It was the fight for the title against Magomed Ankalaev, which finished in a split draw (one of the judges scored for Ankalaev).

Blachowicz is famously tough as nails, with incredible power. He also has a background in judo, which is something he might decide to use on Saturday. The thing is that he’s a much better wrestler than Pereira, so taking him down shouldn’t be much of a problem. The big question here is whether he can get to Pereira who’s bound to throw a huge volume of kicks and punches his way.

Alex Pereira Hoping to Outstrike Blachowicz

Alex Pereira is a former kickboxing world champion, who’s 7-2 since switching to MMA. In the UFC, he’s 4-1, with his only loss happening in April to Israel Adesanya who KO-ed him in the fight for the title. It was a middleweight fight, the same as all of Pereira’s previous UFC fights.

This time, however, he’s fighting in the light heavyweight division, which could be a problem for the Brazilian. The thing is that despite having the skills and incredible speed, he might not have the power to fight such big guys as Blachowicz.

Plus, what we saw from him in the middleweight fights against skilful wrestlers, “Poatan” might be heading toward disaster. He’s suffered five TDs so far in his UFC career, which actually is a big number considering that he’s fought mainly strikers. In fact, two of those five UFC fights were against Adesanya, who previously had no TDs recorded.

Jan Blachowicz vs. Alex Pereira Prediction

Pereira is a level above Blachowicz in terms of kickboxing, but we doubt he’s got enough power to finish the Polish fighter. But what about the other way around? We think this scenario might play out. Blachowicz has the skills and the power needed to take Pereira down, where we might see him win by ground and pound.

Pick: Blachowicz to win by KO/TKO

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bet365 and UFC Extend UK & Ireland Partnership For Another Year

admin — Thu, 06 Jul 2023 21:04:50 +0000

Mixed martial arts organization, UFC, and online sports betting and gaming operator, bet365, announced their sports betting partnership in the UK and Ireland has been extended and will continue for a third consecutive year.

Shared Vision of Innovation and Creativity

The newly-extended partnership under which bet365 will continue as the Official Sportsbook Partner of UFC in the UK and Ireland will also expand to other EU territories, including Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden.

“bet365 have been such a great partner over the years,” commented UFC vice president of Global Partnerships, Nicholas Smith, highlighting the operator’s commitment to “growing the sport of MMA by creating bespoke and educational content” and the shared “vision of innovation and creativity to deliver fans and customers the best experience possible.”

As part of the renewed partnership, bet365 will provide exciting new features to enhance the betting experience, including Bet Builder which allows the combination of multiple betting markets into a single bet.

As an official partner of UFC, IMG ARENA will also introduce enhancements to the bet365 app and website, launching the UFC’s official data feed and in-screen live streaming of UFC bouts to elevate the betting experience during all UFC events.

Elevating the UFC Betting Experience

A spokesperson for bet365 expressed contentment at the renewed partnership with UFC for a third consecutive year, hyping 2023 as the “biggest and most exciting year” for customers that will see the launch of two new enhancements.

From UFC 290: VOLKANOVSKI vs RODRIGUEZ this weekend, our customers will be able to bet on UFC via our market-leading Bet Builder product, and existing customers will also be offered live streaming for UFC events as an in-app feature.

bet365 spokesperson

The Stoke-on-Trent-based operator will also continue to present exclusive previews, analysis and demonstrations of MMA techniques and holds via its UFC-dedicated channel on YouTube, One on One, featuring UFC commentator, Laura Sanko, as well as present additional UFC content within the MMA section of the bet365 Sports & Betting News website.

The news of the extended partnership with bet365 comes ahead of the heavyweight battle between Brit Tom Aspinall and Marcin Tybura scheduled to take place on July 22 at The O2 Arena in London, marking the return of UFC to the capital.

Denise Coates’ bet365 will also continue to be the presenting partner for the Cage Warriors playlist on UFC FIGHT PASS and the series on Dana White’s social channels, If You Don’t Know, Now You Know.

The post bet365 and UFC Extend UK & Ireland Partnership For Another Year appeared first on Keno Wizard.

Robert Whittaker vs. Dricus du Plessis UFC 290 Odds, Time, and Prediction

admin — Mon, 03 Jul 2023 09:51:23 +0000

Whoever wins the Robert Whittaker vs. Dricus du Plessis fight on July 8 will get a shot at the UFC Middleweight title. Will it be Whittaker who gets to fight for the championship belt again? Or will du Plessis continue his UFC rise? Those are the questions we’ll try to answer in this fight preview.

Robert Whittaker vs. Dricus du Plessis Odds

Moneyline	Odds
Robert Whittaker	-400
Dricus du Plessis	+285

*Odds taken from FanDuel on Monday, July 3, 2023.

When, Where, and How to Watch?

Place: T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada
Date: Saturday, July 8, 2023
Time: 10:00 p.m. (Eastern Time)
How to Watch: UFC Fight Pass

Robert Whittaker to Show (Once Again) He’s Elite

Robert “The Reaper” Whittaker is 25-6 overall with a 13-2 record in his last 15 fights. Both of those losses happened against Israel Adesanya in championship bouts. Whittaker will get to fight “The Last Stylebender” for a third time if he beats Dricus du Plessis at UFC 290.

So, will he? Well, the betting odds are in his favor. It’s mainly because of his amazing fight portfolio, which includes wins over such fantastic fighters as Yoel Romero (twice), Jared Cannonier, and Marvin Vettori.

All three of those are famous for their incredibly powerful strikes, so not getting KO-ed by them is a great achievement. It also means that Whittaker is very unlikely to get put to sleep by his opponent at UFC 290.

It’s also very unlikely that he’s going to lose by submission. After all, his takedown defense is a staggering 84% and his only submission loss happened back in 2011. And can he lose by points to du Plessis? Perhaps, although such a scenario would be much more plausible if this was a 25-minute bout.

But a three-round fight is something Whittaker can handle with ease. After all, in his most recent fight, he beat Vettori by points after 15 minutes of a real war inside the Octagon.

Dricus du Plessis Determined to Prove His Doubters Wrong

Dricus du Plessis is a former Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC) and Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki (KSW) champion whose overall record is 19-2. Since joining the UFC in 2020, he’s 5-0 with four finishes, which is what earned him the place in the UFC Middleweight title eliminator.

However, not many believe he’s good enough to be considered a possible title challenger. Even though he has beaten all of his UFC opponents so far, some pundits suggest he was lucky in most of those fights. Another thing going against him is that the fighters he defeated are nowhere near his next opponent in terms of quality, as you can see for yourself below:

Markus Perez was 2-3 in the UFC when he beat him by KO in October 2020
Trevin Giles was 4-2 in the UFC when he beat him by KO in July 2021
Brad Tavares was 14-6 in the UFC when he beat him by decision in July 2022
Darren Till was 6-4-1 in the UFC when he beat him by submission in December 2022
Derek Brunson was 14-6 in the UFC when he beat him by TKO (corner stoppage) in March 2023

Knowing that his next opponent is 13-2 in the world’s best MMA promotion, it’s clear that the Whittaker vs. du Plessis fight on Saturday is going to be the biggest challenge the South African fighter has faced in his entire life.

Robert Whittaker vs. Dricus du Plessis Prediction

If Dricus du Plessis somehow managed to win this fight, it would be one of the biggest upsets in the middleweight division in years. Robert Whittaker is way, way better than him in all aspects of fighting, which is why he simply has to be our pick.

Pick: Robert Whittaker to win

The post Robert Whittaker vs. Dricus du Plessis UFC 290 Odds, Time, and Prediction appeared first on Keno Wizard.

Brandon Moreno vs. Alexandre Pantoja UFC 290 Odds, Time, and Prediction

admin — Sat, 01 Jul 2023 17:19:50 +0000

Brandon Moreno (21-6-2) came out as the winner of the Championship quadrilogy with Deiveson Figueiredo after beating him by TKO in January, thus making it 2-1-1 against his archrival. He won the Figueiredo war, and now it’s time for a new battle – on Saturday, June 8, he’s defending his UFC Flyweight title against Alexandre Pantoja (25-5).

This is going to be Moreno’s eighth 5-round bout in his career, while Pantoja is taking part in such a fight for the first time since joining the UFC in 2017. What’s interesting is that neither fighter has ever been finished. Will that change for one of them on July 8? Or will the UFC 290 co-main event go the distance as well?

We’ll try to answer all of those questions (and more) in this Moreno vs. Pantoja prediction, so keep on reading!

Brandon Moreno vs. Alexandre Pantoja Odds

Moneyline	Odds
Brandon Moreno	-186
Yair Rodriguez	+144

*Odds taken from FanDuel on Friday, June 30, 2023.

When, Where, and How to Watch?

Place: T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada
Date: Saturday, July 8, 2023
Time: 10:00 p.m. (Eastern Time)
How to Watch: UFC Fight Pass

Brandon Moreno Going for the Flyweight GOAT Status

He might be trailing behind Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson on the all-time flyweight greats list, but Moreno is still very young. The 29-year-old could establish himself as the GOAT of this weight division if he keeps on impressing.

He’s got a 14-3-2 record since moving to the flyweight division from bantamweight in 2014. All three of those losses happened by decision, including the one against Alexandre Pantoja in 2018. He did suffer one stoppage loss, but it happened in an exhibition fight in The Ultimate Fighter 24. Guess who beat him? Pantoja!

This guy also has two draws in his portfolio, which happened against Askar Askarov and Deiveson Figueredo, two fighters who are almost as equally good as him on the floor.

Fighting on the ground is his forte, as evident from the fact that he’s got 11 wins by submission since the start of his professional MMA career in 2011. However, both of his last two wins happened by TKO, which is evidence that “The Assassin Baby” has become a very well-rounded fighter.

He’s got an amazing set of martial arts skills, looking equally great when it comes to wrestling, grappling, and striking. On top of everything, he also has incredible stamina, the proof being that he’s fought for 25 minutes straight in three fights so far. Pantoja has never done such a thing.

Can Alexandre Pantoja Beat Moreno Again?

Alexandre “The Cannibal” Pantoja defeated Moreno two times already, but can he do it again? In their second fight (in 2018), he landed more strikes than his opponent, causing just damage to win over the judges. He did great striking-wise in that fight, but since then, Pantoja’s been focusing more on the ground game.

The 33-year-old Brazilian got to challenge the title after winning three straight fights. He beat Manal Kape first, by unanimous decision. Then he went on to finish (submission) Brandon Royval and Alex Perez in the following two bouts, winning the Performance of the Night bonus each time.

Brandon Moreno vs. Alexandre Pantoja Prediction

Brandon Moreno is the better fighter, being superior to Alexander Pantoja in practically every aspect of MMA. He’s also very motivated to win, not only in order to keep his championship belt, but also to exact his revenge for the 2018 defeat.

Pick: Brandon Moreno to win

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