Last Updated on March 28, 2024 7:23 pm by Erwin Noguera
We are a few weekends away from the UFC 300 Card, but we are going to have a trip outside from the Apex for this Fight Night, as we are now looking to get to our seats at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey for an interesting event with a lot of fighters looking to make their name known!
The main event gets the female Flyweights in the spotlight, as Erin Blanchfield and Manon Fiorot clash to see who is going to advance closer to title contention and who is going to be pushed back at the end of the night.
The Co-main event pits two fighters who could turn the fight into a barn-burner, as Joaquin Buckley and Vicente Luque fight it out in the welterweight division.
We also get the former Middleweight Champion, Chris Weidman, battling once more against Bruno Silva, and with both fighters racking up a total of 50 fights of experience, we are expecting a great show!
With 14 fights in this card, 6 of them on the main card and 8 on the prelims, we get a ton of talented fighters who are looking towards putting their names in everyone’s mind after trying to showcase an exciting performance.
Let’s get ready for what is coming our way, and start breaking down everything you need to know before the fighters make their way to the cage.
You can check all the UFC/MMA bets, the analysis of each fighter, and the final bet you can make in these fights.
UFC Fight Night: Blanchfield vs. Fiorot Fight Card Odds and Picks
When:
Saturday, March 30th, at 7:00 pm ET
Moneyline odds
Erin Blanchfield 1.55 / Manon Fiorot 2.487
Vicente Luque 1.88 / Joaquin Buckley 1.92
Bruno Silva 1.4 / Chris Weidman 2.998
Nursolton Ruziboev 1.4 / Sedriques Dumas 2.998
Bill Algeo 1.41 / Kyle Nelson 2.96
Chidi Njokuani 1.71 / Rhys McKee 2.16
Nate Landwehr 2.396 / Jamall Emmers 1.57
Virna Jandiroba 2.256 / Lupita Godinez 1.635
Julio Arce 1.27 / Herbert Burns 3.72
Connor Matthews 1.99 / Dennis Buzukja 1.79
Ibo Aslan 1.86 / Anton Turkalj 1.9
Melissa Gatto 1.68 / Victoria Dudakova 2.174
Andre Petroski 2.7 / Jacob Malkoun 1.48
Angel Pacheco 3.77 / Caolán Loughran 1.27
Where can I watch it?
UFC Fight Pass
UFC Fight Night: Erin Blanchfield vs. Manon Fiorot
Why Bet on Erin Blanchfield?
Blanchfield has been impressive, without a doubt, but three of her biggest wins to date — Jessica Andrade, Molly McCann, and JJ Aldrich — were products of her physically dominating a smaller opponent. She did not necessarily struggle with the size of Taila Santos in her last outing but was much less enforcing.
Now, she faces her biggest challenge yet, literally and figuratively, as Fiorot is one of the biggest flyweights in MMA.
Why Bet on Manon Fiorot?
With a deep striking background, many often forget how dominant Fiorot was early in her UFC run, which included a win over recent bantamweight title challenger Mayra Bueno Silva. The only loss of Fiorot’s career came in her professional debut against Leah McCourt, who is now a featherweight.
Erin Blanchfield vs. Manon Fiorot Final Betting Analysis:
Though we’ve been singing her praises since before her UFC debut, Fiorot has yet to evolve her game. It’s the same mix of headhunting and stout wrestling as always, and that’s not going to cut it against the durable and adaptable Blanchfield.
We just saw Blanchfield wear down the physically superior Taila Santos over three rounds. Five rounds is more than enough time for her to analyze Fiorot’s simplistic style and take her apart.
UFC Fight Night: Vicente Luque vs. Joaquin Buckley
Why Bet on Vicente Luque?
Luque has been struggling to make it to a fight with opponents dropping out and injuries happening, so we will see an excited former top 5 contender. He is coming off an impressive win over Rafael dos Anjos last August via unanimous decision.
Why Bet on Joaquin Buckley?
Buckley has been on a tear since dropping down to 170 lbs to compete and this is his biggest test yet. He is coming off a unanimous decision win over a tough Alex Morono in October.
Vicente Luque vs. Joaquin Buckley Final Betting Analysis:
This is a big step up in competition for Buckley and Luque is one of those guys where it takes a lot to bet against.
Buckley looks like a different beast in the welterweight divisions. Cutting weight and being more disciplined with his diet will give him great success in this division and probably extend his career by years. However, he falls short of Luque’s level.
UFC Fight Night: Bruno Silva vs. Chris Weidman
Why Bet on Bruno Silva?
Silva is five years younger, but perhaps more inconsistent than his current opponent. How does a man give Alex Pereira real trouble on the feet and then immediately make Gerald Meerschaert look like Floyd Mayweather? Truly baffling stuff from the Brazilian, who at his best is a fearsome knockout artist capable of top-10 performances.
Why Bet on Chris Weidman?
Weidman — a former Middleweight champion — ain’t looking great, true. He’s still got knockout power and a very decorated ground game, but Weidman is looking more fragile with age and gets tired earlier in fights, classic symptoms of a stellar athlete slowing down with age and injury.
Bruno Silva vs. Chris Weidman Final Betting Analysis:
Silva should smash the broken Weidman into submission, but “Blindado” has also dropped four of his last five and is a genuinely awful wrestler. There are obvious paths to victory for each man, and there will be plenty of chances for either to self-destruct.
Weidman isn’t that hard to knock out (six losses by KO in seven defeats), while Silva is easy to submit (seven submissions losses in ten defeats). A finish is possible for either side at any point, but we are going with Silva here.
UFC Fight Night: Nursolton Ruziboev vs. Sedriques Dumas
Why Bet on Nursolton Ruziboev?
Ruziboev — 33-8-2 as a professional — has a ton of experience. He tends to win quickly or fade late, but a nasty combination of powerful range striking and slick grappling means that those early finishes are a viable way to go.
Why Bet on Sedriques Dumas?
Dumas, conversely, hasn’t been fighting that long but is a gifted athlete. If his technical game can continue catching up to his physical attributes, he could go a long way at 185 pounds. This might be too much, too soon.
Nursolton Ruziboev vs. Sedriques Dumas Final Betting Analysis:
Whether or not you buy Caio Borralho’s claim that Ruziboev built his record with fixed fights, beating a beast like Bruno Ferreira is more impressive than anything Dumas has done in his career. Indeed, “The Reaper” has looked like garbage in all three of his UFC bouts and will have little answer for Ruziboev’s onslaught.
UFC Fight Night: Bill Algeo vs. Kyle Nelson
Why Bet on Bill Algeo?
Algeo fights are a lot of fun. He’s not the fastest nor most powerful man on the roster, but has an iron chin and throws a ton of strikes, which makes for an entertaining dynamic. He’s also a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and a capable wrestler.
Why Bet on Kyle Nelson?
Nelson’s UFC career started with a 1-4-1 run that didn’t seem to spell much future success. The Canadian talent was given another chance, and since then, he thoroughly shut down two up-and-comers with his technical kickboxing. He seems to have settled his status as a UFC fighter and has a better understanding of how he can win fights at this level.
Bill Algeo vs. Kyle Nelson Final Betting Analysis:
Nelson’s takedowns aren’t strong enough to exploit Algeo’s biggest weakness and “Señor Perfecto’s” reach and volume give him a clear edge on the feet, which should be enough for Algeo to take the victory in this clash.
UFC Fight Night: Chidi Njokuani vs. Rhys McKee
Why Bet on Chidi Njokuani?
Njokuane lost three in a row, and his last fight against Oleksiejczuk was alarming.
He was doing fine in the first round with his striking, and then he just fell off a cliff and got grounded and pounded out. I don’t know if it was a cardio thing or an injury, but he hasn’t looked right since his insane fight against Rodrigues where he was seconds away from a KO win, but he couldn’t get Rodrigues out of there and ended up getting KO’d a bit later.
Why Bet on Rhys McKee?
McKee isn’t great and lost to Ange Loosa in his return. While he didn’t show much upside, if his opponent gasses out, he could take this fight in rounds two and three.
McKee would be smart to try and push the pace from the beginning and force Chidi to throw higher volume, and if he avoids the big shot in round one, there are chances that McKee could win in the long run.
Chidi Njokuani vs. Rhys McKee Final Betting Analysis:
It’s become incredibly apparent that Njokuani has no heart or bottom game. However, we still don’t see him losing to Rhys McKee. “Skeletor’s” only noteworthy traits are being tall and difficult to knock out — the man can’t wrestle and gets hit nearly 10 times per minute.
Njokuani is a menace on the feet, especially with no takedowns to worry about, and thus merits a moderate bet despite his recent struggles.
UFC Fight Night: Nate Landwehr vs. Jamall Emmers
Why Bet on Nate Landwehr?
Despite suffering two knockouts via knees in his first three UFC bouts, Nate Landwehr (17-5) battled his way back into the picture with three straight wins, among them massive upsets of Ludovit Klein and David Onama. Then came Dan Ige, who out-struck “The Train” en route to a unanimous decision win.
He’s knocked out eight professional opponents and submitted two others.
Why Bet on Jamall Emmers?
Jamall Emmers (20-7) rode an 8-1 streak into his 2020 UFC debut, the sole blemish a knockout loss to Julian Erosa on Contender Series. He’s since alternated losses and wins, most recently stopping Dennis Buzukja in just 49 seconds.
“Pretty Boy” steps in for Pat Sabatini on less than one month’s notice.
Nate Landwehr vs. Jamall Emmers Final Betting Analysis:
On paper, this is all Emmers. Landwehr is far too crude on the feet to get through Emmers’ long-range offense and lacks the wrestling chops necessary to put Emmers on his back. “The Train” will have a hell of a time implementing his usual attrition-heavy gameplan, especially since Emmers’ cardio has yet to fail him.
Emmers does admittedly love finding ways to lose, from indulging Giga Chikadze on the feet to inexplicably starting a leg lock battle with Pat Sabatini.
We can picture him playing Landwehr’s game for too long and dropping another controversial decision. That said, there’s way too much going Emmers’ way in this matchup. He either smokes Landwehr in the first three minutes or out-classes him at range for the full 15 minutes.
UFC Fight Night: Virna Jandiroba vs. Lupita Godinez
Why Bet on Virna Jandiroba?
Virna Jandiroba (19-3) entered the Octagon as an undefeated (14-0) Invicta champion, only to fall to long-time standout, Carla Esparza, in her 2019 UFC debut.
She now sits at 5-4 in the world’s largest mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion, entering the cage this Saturday on the heels of back-to-back wins over Angela Hill and Marina Rodriguez.
Thirteen of her fourteen professional finishes have come via submission.
Why Bet on Lupita Godinez?
Questionable tactics held Lupita Godinez (12-3) to a 3-3 UFC start as she gave up huge upsets to Jessica Penne, Luana Carolina, and Angela Hill. She’s since found her footing, dispatching Cynthia Calvillo, Emily Ducote, Elise Reed, and Tabatha Ricci in seven months.
Virna Jandiroba vs. Lupita Godinez Final Betting Analysis:
As with virtually all of Godinez’s fights, this one boils down to whether she can keep her head on straight. Jandiroba possesses one of the division’s best top games, but except the undersized Kanako Murata, has struggled to impose her will on skilled grapplers in the Octagon. Godinez’s takedown defense looks up to the task of keeping it standing, where her boxing skills far outstrip “Carcara’s.”
However, we’ve seen Godinez strike when she should have wrestled and wrestle when she should have struck, and Jandiroba’s not someone she can afford to be sloppy against. Nevertheless, considering the ease with which she shut down Ricci’s grappling and Jandiroba’s questionable decision-making, we’re confident Godinez can sprawl and brawl to victory.
UFC Fight Night: Julio Arce vs. Herbert Burns
Why Bet on Julio Arce?
Julio Arce (18-6) followed his Contender Series beatdown of Peter Petties with one-sided Octagon victories over Dan Ige and Daniel Teymur. His subsequent seven fights saw him alternate losses and wins, culminating in a decision defeat to Montel Jackson at UFC 281.
This marks his first bout in 16 months.
Why Bet on Herbert Burns?
Herbert Burns (11-4) needed less than a round apiece to dispatch Darrick Minner on the Contender Series, Nate Landwehr in his Octagon debut, and Evan Dunham in his sophomore effort.
He subsequently missed weight en route to a knockout loss against Daniel Pineda, spent nearly two years on the sidelines, and then suffered a rare technical knockout because of exhaustion against Bill Algeo in July 2022.
All of his wins since Dec. 2014 have come inside of two rounds.
Julio Arce vs. Herbert Burns Final Betting Analysis:
It’s a bit surreal to see a fighter of Burns’ pedigree listed as a 4:1 underdog, but the argument is sound. You just can’t trust someone who’s imploded so quickly in two consecutive fights, especially not against a well-rounded and well-conditioned fighter like Arce.
Burns’ one saving grace here is that he should be the larger man — he can barely make 145 pounds and Arce has been a Bantamweight for the last several years.
Unfortunately, that’s not enough to outweigh everything else. In short, Arce’s top-notch takedown defense keeps things on the feet as he systematically breaks down Burns with strikes en route to a late finish.
UFC Fight Night: Connor Matthews vs. Dennis Buzukja
Why Bet on Connor Matthews?
Connor Matthews (7-1) fell short in his first Contender Series bout, dropping a one-sided decision to Francis Marshall in 2022. After rehabbing with a win in New England promotion Combat Zone, he returned to the program in Oct. 2023 to upset undefeated Jair Farias and secure a berth in the Octagon.
All six of his professional finishes have come in the first round, five of them via submission.
Why Bet on Dennis Buzukja?
Though Dennis Buzukja (11-4) failed to claim a UFC contract in his second Contender Series bout, he successfully extended his win streak to seven before a short-notice UFC debut against Sean Woodson.
“The Great” wound up missing weight and losing a unanimous decision, then succumbed to Jamall Emmers’ power less than one minute into their Nov. 2023 bout at UFC 295.
Connor Matthews vs. Dennis Buzukja Final Betting Analysis:
It’s clear at this point that Buzukja doesn’t know how to deal with skilled long-range strikers. Luckily for him, Matthews doesn’t fit that bill. Indeed, “The Controller” is the sort of straightforward, defensively lax fighter whom Buzukja shines against.
Matthews does admittedly have some decent takedowns at his disposal but isn’t much of a threat from the top. Buzukja’s defensive grappling should be sufficient to keep it in his wheelhouse — so as long as the Emmers fight didn’t shatter his confidence — expect his superior technique to win the day.
UFC Fight Night: Ibo Aslan vs. Anton Turkalj
Why Bet on Ibo Aslan?
Ibo Aslan (12-1) battled his way to a perfect (8-0) professional start before falling to Anton Turkalj in his 2020 Brave CF debut. A subsequent trio of first-round finishes put him back in the win column and carried him to the Contender Series, where he smashed Paulo Renato Jr. to earn a UFC contract.
All 12 of his wins have come via knockout.
Why Bet on Anton Turkalj?
Having failed to secure a contract with his Contender Series decision over Acacio dos Santos, Turkalj stepped up on short notice to battle Jailton Almeida less than two months later. However, the move kicked off what’s now a three-fight losing streak, the most recent of which saw him knocked out by Tyson Pedro.
Ibo Aslan vs. Anton Turkalj Final Betting Analysis:
The first meeting between these two saw Aslan put the hurt on Turkalj for more than one round before running out of steam and committing a fatal unforced error. Turkalj won’t be so fortunate this time — Aslan seems significantly sharper than before and Turkalj’s durability failed him badly against Pedro, suggesting he won’t survive long enough to pull a similar comeback.
Aslan admittedly hasn’t had his cardio tested since last time and could very well collapse again, but it’s far likelier that he batters Turkalj into submission within minutes.
UFC Fight Night: Melissa Gatto vs. Victoria Dudakova
Why Bet on Melissa Gatto?
Melissa Gatto made up for nearly two years on the sidelines with back-to-back knockouts of Victoria Leonardo and Sijara Eubanks in the Octagon. She’s winless since, dropping competitive decisions to Tracy Cortez and Ariane Lipski over 14 months.
Why Bet on Victoria Dudakova?
Viktoriia Dudakova (8-0) defied 2:1 odds to defeat Maria Silva in the Contender Series and claim a UFC contract in 2022. Two UFC bouts have seen her defeat Istela Nunes by injury stoppage, then floor Jinh Yu Frey on her way to a unanimous decision.
Her six professional finishes are split 4:2 between submissions and (technical) knockouts.
Melissa Gatto vs. Victoria Dudakova Final Betting Analysis:
Even with Gatto’s recent struggles, this seems like a mighty big ask for Dudakova. That vaunted wrestling of hers was nowhere to be found against the undersized Jinh Yu Frey, who managed to rack up an entire round of top control with little resistance.
That’s not a great sign against a competent takedown artist in Gatto, especially considering this will be Dudakova’s Flyweight debut.
Dudakova did show off some improved boxing in the Frey fight — and considering both her young age and what was probably a serious weight cut — there’s every reason to expect a much-improved product come Saturday. However, her lack of a bottom game is just too big a concern against a grappler of this caliber and I’m not convinced she can overwhelm someone who went toe-to-toe with Ariane Lipski on the feet.
In the end, Gatto holds her own in the striking exchanges and racks up top control for a clean win.
UFC Fight Night: Andre Petroski vs. Jacob Malkoun
Why Bet on Andre Petroski?
Andre Petroski (10-3) put his unsuccessful The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) run behind him to win five straight in the Octagon, including a 76-second submission of Nick Maximov as a nearly 3:1 underdog. He then got the call to welcome Michel Pereira to the Middleweight division but fell to “Demolidor’s” right hand just 66 seconds into the fight.
His eight professional finishes are split evenly between knockouts and submissions.
Why Bet on Jacob Malkoun?
The 2020 UFC debut of Malkoun (7-3) saw him lose his undefeated record to Phil Hawes in just 18 seconds. He has since put together a 3-2 run, notably losing a controversial decision to Brendan Allen and earning a disqualification against Cody Brundage because of illegal strikes.
Andre Petroski vs. Jacob Malkoun Final Betting Analysis:
We can expect a dominant start from Petroski. Malkoun’s boxing pedigree has yet to translate into a noteworthy striking attack and the Maximov fight showed what will happen if Malkoun gets too predictable with his takedowns. We are just not convinced it’ll last.
Petroski’s gas tank has proven fickle over the years — at least against opponents who put up meaningful resistance — and Malkoun’s style is as exhausting as they come.
Malkoun can be patient if needed (as seen against A.J. Dobson) and odds are he’ll find it progressively easier to manhandle Petroski as the rounds go by. Though Petroski has a real chance to either flatline Malkoun in the opening minutes or preserve his gas by attacking Malkoun’s weirdly porous takedown defense, the likeliest outcome sees Malkoun weather a rough start to grind Petroski into oblivion down the stretch.
UFC Fight Night: Angel Pacheco vs. Caolán Loughran
Why Bet on Angel Pacheco?
Thirteen months after finishing Vilson Ndregjoni via flying knee-assisted rear-naked choke, Angel Pacheco entered the Contender Series cage to face Danny Silva.
The pair wound up landing a combined 401 significant strikes in 15 minutes. And even though Pacheco fell short on the scorecards, his efforts were enough to earn him a contract.
Why Bet on Caolán Loughran?
Loughran capped off his four-fight stint in Cage Warriors by knocking out Dylan Hazan to claim the promotion’s Bantamweight title. He was slated to make his UFC debut four months later against Yanis Ghemmouri but instead took on French veteran, Taylor Lapilus, who handed Loughran his first defeat of any kind since 2018 via unanimous decision.
Five of his seven professional finishes have come via knockout.
Angel Pacheco vs. Caolán Loughran Final Betting Analysis:
Pacheco’s heart and toughness cannot be questioned, but the rest of his game sure can. He’s a defensive sieve with little power and a tendency to wind up in the pocket even when it’s against his best interest. Those are not great issues to have against a tank like Loughran, who is also hittable. However, “The Don” is significantly more dangerous than Pacheco in close quarters and the superior wrestler to boot.
Pacheco just doesn’t have anything in his arsenal that can trouble Loughran and his bad habits play directly into Loughran’s strengths. In the end, Loughran floors him with an early right hand and pounds him out before he can get his wits back.
Erin Blanchfield vs. Manon Fiorot Betting Pick: Erin Blanchfield
Vicente Luque vs. Joaquin Buckley Betting Pick: Vicente Luque
Silva vs. Weidman Betting Pick: Bruno Silva
Ruziboev vs. Dumas Betting Pick: Nursolton Ruziboev
Algeo vs. Nelson Betting Pick: Bill Algeo
Njokuani vs. McKee Betting Pick: Chidi Njokuani
Landwehr vs. Emmers Betting Pick: Jamall Emmers
Jandiroba vs. Godinez Betting Pick: Lupita Godinez
Arce vs. Burns Betting Pick: Julio Arce
Matthews vs. Buzukja Betting Pick: Dennis Buzukja
Aslan vs. Turkalj Betting Pick: Ibo Aslan
Gatto vs. Dudakova Betting Pick: Melissa Gatto
Petroski vs. Malkoun Betting Pick: Jacob Malkoun
Pacheco vs. Loughran Betting Pick: Caolan Loughran
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