UFC 288: <\/strong>Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo<\/h2>\n\n\n\nWhy Bet on Aljamain Sterling?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Sterling comes into the bout on the back of an eight-fight win streak, including two impressive title defenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s true that “Funk Master” controversially won his crown, beating Petr Yan via disqualification after being essentially knocked out by an illegal knee, but he then clearly beat “No Mercy” in their rematch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most recently, he violently dispatched T.J. Dillashaw, although the former bantamweight champion was admittedly hampered by a shoulder injury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sterling is a fantastic grappler with a powerful wrestling game and a truly venomous submission arsenal, particularly if he can take his opponent\u2019s back. He\u2019s not the greatest striker, but he\u2019s more than willing, and his range and kicking ability make him a handful for any opponent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why Bet on Henry Cejudo?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Henry enters the octagon after a three-year hiatus and will dive into the deep end to challenge for the title he never lost, but before retiring, Cejudo won six straight fights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Triple C” came into the promotion with a lot of fanfare as a 2008 Olympic gold medallist in freestyle wrestling, and after a patchy start, ended up upsetting Demetrious Johnson to claim flyweight gold in 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From there, he defeated then-bantamweight champ Dillashaw via TKO in a stunning performance and became a simultaneous double champion by stopping Marlon Moraes a few months later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While he was once somewhat one-dimensional, before he stepped away three years ago, Cejudo is always difficult to stop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo Final Betting Analysis:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The big question here, realistically, is how much Triple C still has left in the tank. At 36 years old he\u2019s probably still just about in his prime years, but with three years on the shelf behind him, it\u2019s fair to ask whether he could\u2019ve become rusty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sure, in a pure wrestling match, Cejudo would probably win, but whether he can out-scramble The Funk Master in an MMA bout is a legitimate question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Triple C is dangerous on the feet, but even then, the only fighter he knocked out standing was a seriously depleted Dillashaw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sterling, of course, has taken heavy shots from the likes of Yan and Pedro Munhoz and has only ever been knocked out once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Overall, this is a remarkably difficult fight to pick, purely because it\u2019s hard to say whether Cejudo\u2019s reputation can hold up to three years out of the game, particularly against a champion as good as Sterling; but we believe Henry Cejudo will finish Sterling and reclaim the bantamweight strap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
UFC 288: <\/strong>Belal Muhammad vs. Gilbert Burns<\/h2>\n\n\n\nWhy Bet on Belal Muhammad?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Belal Muhammad comes into the fight on a 9-fight unbeaten break and a four-fight win streak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The only blemish was the no-contest against Leon Edwards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The thing is that according to his nutritionist, Muhammad is almost 20 pounds above the weight limit for the welterweight division. The nutritionist first said it was 40 pounds, but later changed his statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In either case, Muhammad\u2019s body is bound to suffer during the weight-cutting process, which comes only days after he ended his Ramadan fasting (Mar 22 \u2013 Apr 20). For a whole month, he ate no food and drank no water from dawn until dusk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why Bet on Gilbert Burns?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Burns is on a two-fight win streak after his loss to Khamzat Chimaev.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gilbert lives and breathes fighting, as evident from the fact that he wholeheartedly accepted the UFC 288 fight even though he fought Masvidal just 28 days before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He won the Masvidal bout by unanimous decision after three rounds of intense fighting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This guy likes to throw everything at his opponents, even if it meant risking an early defeat. However, so far, it\u2019s worked for him \u2013 he\u2019s lost only two fights inside the distance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Belal Muhammad vs. Gilbert Burns Final Betting Analysis:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
So the numbers and the physical attributes point towards a very close contest between two very talented fighters. Fans will hope that the Muhammad vs. Burns fight will live up to their expectations. Whatever happens on Saturday, no one\u2019s gonna be surprised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is arguably a toss-up, as both fighters have similarities in their resumes. However, the slight difference might come down to how aggressive the striking war is going to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Muhammad does a great job at prolonging a battle, especially with his numerous decision victories. He also has a slight edge in his significant strikes, but Burns is a solid choice too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If things are good with his weight cut, we expect Muhammad to be able to continue his winning streak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
UFC 288: <\/strong>J\u00e9ssica Andrade vs. Xiaonan Yan<\/h2>\n\n\n\nWhy Bet on J\u00e9ssica Andrade?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Jessica Andrade has won three out of her last four fights. She defeated Cynthia Calvillo via TKO in the first round at UFC 266 in September 2021. In April 2022, she submitted Amanda Lemos with a standing arm-triangle choke at UFC Fight Night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Andrade then won a unanimous decision against Lauren Murphy at UFC 283 in January 2023 but was defeated by Erin Blanchfield via submission in her most recent fight at UFC Fight Night in February 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A setback against Blanchfield should only motivate Andrade to get back on the horse and prove she is still a contender at strawweight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why Bet on Xiaonan Yan?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Xiaonan is an upcoming contender in the strawweight division. Looking to give her fellow Chinese fighter (Zhang Weilei) <\/strong>a new challenge to defend her title against.<\/p>\n\n\n\nYan Xiaonan\u2019s most recent fight was a victory against Mackenzie Dern at UFC Fight Night on October 1, 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She won the fight by a majority decision after five rounds in Las Vegas, Nevada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before that, Yan suffered two consecutive losses. The first loss was to Marina Rodriguez, via split decision at UFC 272 on March 5, 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The second loss was to Carla Esparza, who won the fight by TKO via punches at UFC Fight Night on May 22, 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
J\u00e9ssica Andrade vs. Xiaonan Yan Final Betting Analysis:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Assuming Andrade is coming into this weekend in shape, and focused on executing her game plan. She has advantages all across the board over Xiaonan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Andrade is going to fight with a lot of confidence in her power. She will be walking down Xiaonan, looking to land heavy punches, and kicks, and lead to level changes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Xiaonan is a skilled fighter, but Jessica Andrade is a beast, and we believe she will use her strength to find submission in this fight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
UFC 288: <\/strong>Movsar Evloev vs. Diego Lopes<\/h2>\n\n\n\nWhy Bet on Movsar Evloev?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Evloev\u2019s record is impressing. Anyone that can be unbeaten in professional MMA for 16 fights, is a problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yes, he hasn\u2019t faced any of the top 15 guys in the UFC featherweight division. But his wrestling ability is tough to deny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Evloev is 6-0 in the UFC, but all of those wins have been via decision. You can compare Evloev\u2019s rise through the UFC rankings to Khabib Nurmagomedov\u2019s through the mid-2010s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There haven\u2019t been any big names, but that is most likely because of how dominant he is at wrestling. Evloev averages a whopping 4.83 takedowns landed per 15 minutes in the octagon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why Bet on Diego Lopes?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
This is a tough fight to break down. UFC news broke on Tuesday of UFC 288 fight week that Bryce Mitchell was out. And Diego Lopes is stepping up on short notice to make his UFC debut. This isn\u2019t a fun matchup for the newcomer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The only real analytics on Lopes is that he is a 28-year-old Brazilian with power and good grappling skills\u2013according to his 20-5 record and an impressive 18 finishes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He will also have a decent size advantage over Evloev, listed as 4 inches taller than his Russian counterpart. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Movsar Evloev vs. Diego Lopes Final Betting Analysis:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
This was a match supposed to be a top 15 featherweight battle, but Bryce Mitchell hurting his back and pulling out has caused a short-notice matchup between the undefeated Movsar Evloev and UFC debutant Diego Lopes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lopes is stepping up on 5-day notice to try his luck at defeating the No.10 ranked featherweight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We believe that the Lobo Gym representative is going to have a really hard time on his debut this weekend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
UFC 288: <\/strong>Kron Gracie vs. Charles Jourdain<\/h2>\n\n\n\nWhy Bet on Kron Gracie?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Gracie is absolutely one of the best grapplers on the UFC roster. He was a terror on the competitive grappling scene, and in the cage, he\u2019s lethal when able to force a grappling exchange. Otherwise, he relies on pressure boxing to create his openings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gracie\u2019s complete lack of effective offensive wrestling will always be a liability, but his style of creating chaos and hoping it leads to submissions should play well against Jourdain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAir\u201d loves chaos and scrappy exchanges, and he\u2019s happy to overcommit to punches or throw easily caught kicks, meaning it\u2019s not difficult to dump him to the canvas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why Bet on Charles Jourdain?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Jourdain loves to throw down. He\u2019s able to push a hard pace for three rounds and has a very solid natural power, which makes him a dangerous foe particularly late in fights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He\u2019ll struggle with control on the canvas, but Jourdain can make it a scrap nearly every time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At 27 years of age, Jourdain already has a lot of high-level UFC experience. He\u2019s faced his share of ups and downs, and hopefully, he\u2019s going to come out the other side as a better fighter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He has potential, and this fight may help demonstrate whether he can live up to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kron Gracie vs. Charles Jourdain Final Betting Analysis:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Hopefully, Gracie remembers his strengths here. If he\u2019s opportunistic, he should be able to get Jourdain down somehow, and he\u2019s on a different level on the canvas. This could be a great return performance from Gracie, provided he makes use of his greatest asset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jourdain has to fight control here. He cannot throw caution to the wind and engage recklessly. It could pay off, sure, but the more likely outcome is he winds up trapped on the canvas, forced defensive by Gracie\u2019s elite submission game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If Cub Swanson chose to tone down his wildness, it\u2019s probably a good idea for Jourdain to do the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If Jourdain can play it patiently and refuse to give Gracie an easy path to grappling, he should do a ton of damage and pick his foe apart. He\u2019s got the skill set to do so, but this match-up will test whether or not he has developed the discipline, we believe he does.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
UFC 288: <\/strong>Drew Dober vs. Matt Frevola<\/h2>\n\n\n\nWhy Bet on Drew Dober?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Drew Dober (26-11) \u2014 who first joined UFC as a late-notice replacement in 2013 \u2014 bounced back from a 3-4 (1 NC) Octagon start to win nine of his next 12 bouts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His current three-fight knockout streak most recently saw him flatten Bobby Green with one punch for his second consecutive post-fight bonus and sixth overall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His 19 professional finishes are split 10\/9 between knockouts and submissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why Bet on Matt Frevola?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Consecutive upset decisions over Jalin Turner and Luis Pena gave Matt Frevola (10-3-1) a good head of steam, only for Arman Tsarukyan and Terrance McKinney to drop his UFC record below .500 in a misfortune-plagued, three-year stretch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Undaunted, he\u2019s since returned to form with first-round finishes of Genaro Valdez and Ottman Azaitar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Drew Dober vs. Matt Frevola Final Betting Analysis:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Frevola is going to have to fight every instinct in his body if he wants to win this fight. Slugging it out with Dober is a losing proposition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s because Dober\u2019s got sharper boxing, arguably heavier hands, and a better chin. Frevola is tough as nails, sure, but Dober\u2019s only suffered a knockdown in the last decade was a flying knee from McKinney that he shrugged off to win the fight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thus, Frevola has to lean on his wrestling, but even that might be a losing proposition considering how hard it is to control Dober when you\u2019re not Islam Makhachev.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
More likely, some good shots from Dober rouse Frevola\u2019s fighting spirit before a few more put it (and him) to sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
UFC 288: <\/strong>Devin Clark vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu<\/h2>\n\n\n\nWhy Bet on Devin Clark?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
A knockout loss to Azamat Murzakanov dropped Devin Clark (14-7) to 1-3 in his previous four, the lone win a third-round finish of the hapless William Knight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBrown Bear\u201d entered his subsequent clash with Da Un Jung as a sizable underdog, but wound up dominating \u201cSseda\u201d over three rounds for his eighth Octagon victory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why Bet on Kennedy Nzechukwu?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Kennedy Nzechukwu (11-3) rebounded from a UFC debut loss to Paul Craig by winning three straight, among them a pair of bonus-winning knockouts of Carlos Ulberg and Danilo Marquez.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Consecutive losses to Da Un Jung and Nicolae Negumereanu followed, though \u201cAfrican Savage\u201d enters the cage this Saturday on the heels of knockouts over Karl Roberson and Ion Cutelaba.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All eight of his professional finishes have come via (technical) knockout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Devin Clark vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu Final Betting Analysis:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
There is a seemingly unbreakable line in the Light Heavyweight rankings above which Devin Clark\u2019s approach stops working.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He\u2019s too undersized, fragile, and technically limited to beat anyone above the line, but his bottomless gas tank and persistent takedown attack are Kryptonite to those below it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We, however, are not entirely sure where Nzechukwu stands. It wouldn\u2019t surprise us at all to see Nzechukwu use his freakish dimensions to steadily dismantle Clark on the feet, but Cutelaba found some success spamming takedowns on \u201cAfrican Savage\u201d before his customary implosion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We say Clark does enough in the deep waters to edge out a deeply stupid fight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n