UFC 292: <\/strong>Aljamain Sterling vs. Sean O’Malley<\/h2>\n\n\n\nWhy Bet on Aljamain Sterling?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
At this stage, Aljamain Sterling has a claim to being the best bantamweight in MMA history. He\u2019s held his title since 2021, and while he won it under controversial circumstances \u2013 via disqualification \u2013 he\u2019s since made three straight defenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Funk Master turned back the challenge of Petr Yan, stopped T.J. Dillashaw, and edged out Henry Cejudo earlier this year. Add in his previous wins over Cory Sandhagen, Pedro Munhoz, and Renan Barao, and you can\u2019t argue with his resume.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why Bet on Sean O’Malley?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Sugar is a passable grappler, but he lives and breathes for his striking game. O\u2019Malley not only packs serious knockout power and killer instinct, but his grasp of range and distance is phenomenal. Coupled in with the fact that at 5\u201911\u201d, he\u2019s tall for a 135lber, it\u2019s easy to see why he\u2019s had so much success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The only question mark over O\u2019Malley, realistically, is his lack of fights against top competition. Sugar edged out Yan last year in a thriller, but largely due to the UFC viewing him as a potential superstar, he\u2019s been babied somewhat, fighting lower-level foes or aging veterans like Thomas Almeida and Eddie Wineland, rather than top-ranked fighters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Aljamain Sterling vs. Sean O’Malley Betting Analysis:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Sterling has no weaknesses. His cardio is phenomenal, he\u2019s an unbelievable wrestler who can both control and submit his foes and his striking, while not concussive, is explosive and effective. Quite why he hasn\u2019t earned more respect remains a bit of a mystery, to be honest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
O\u2019Malley\u2019s best path to win would be to block Sterling\u2019s takedowns and snipe at him from range, looking for a knockout. Unfortunately for Sugar, it’s not that simple. Not only is the Funk Master deceptively fast in terms of getting inside an opponent to drag them down, but he\u2019s also not exactly a poor striker in his own right. More to the point, he doesn\u2019t have a bad chin by any means. He\u2019s only been knocked out twice, once by Yan\u2019s illegal knee and once by Marlon Moraes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The latter knockout saw Funk Master dive head-first into the Brazilian\u2019s knee as Magic threw a kick. It was a once-in-a-lifetime shot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the ground, meanwhile, the bout is likely to be a mismatch of sorts. If Sterling takes the back of an opponent, the fight is usually over, and while O\u2019Malley isn\u2019t a white belt, he wouldn\u2019t be considered on the same level as Cejudo, Barao, or Augusto Mendes, all of whom were whitewashed by the Funk Master.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If O\u2019Malley can catch Sterling cold, he can win this fight, but the chances of him doing that before his foe grabs him seem slim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The pick, therefore, is Sterling via submission, simple as that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
UFC 292: <\/strong>Weili Zhang vs. Amanda Lemos<\/h2>\n\n\n\nWhy Bet on Weili Zhang?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
After losing to Rose Namajunas in 2021, Zhang has gone 2-0 with back-to-back wins over Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Carla Esparza.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She defeated Jedrzejczyk with a nasty spinning back fist that got her Performance of the Night honors before showing off her excellent grappling skills by submitting Esparza to capture a title again in the UFC. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why Bet on Amanda Lemos?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
In her most recent fight, Lemos demolished Marina Rodriguez in a TKO victory in November 2022. Before that, she submitted Michelle Waterson-Gomez via a Guillotine choke. At 36 years old, Lemos must be feeling that this could be her last shot at an MMA title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The will is there for Lemos, who has an 8-1 knockout record and a 3-1 submission slate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Weili Zhang vs. Amanda Lemos Betting Analysis:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Lemos is a fantastic striker with many other powerful weapons in her arsenal, but she probably isn\u2019t on the same level as Weili. The thing is that she\u2019s only fought three ranked opponents so far.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, the reigning champ has only fought ranked opponents since 2018. The paper goes on the current champion’s side, but it is the quality of violence that she has shown in her fights that we can hardly see Lemos being able to overcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
UFC 292: <\/strong>Neil Magny vs. Ian Machado Garry<\/h2>\n\n\n\nWhy Bet on Neil Magny?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Neil Magny is a seasoned UFC ver, a name synonymous with experience and resilience in the UFC octagon after picking up career wins over Geoff Neal, Robbie Lawler, Carlos Condit, and most recently Philip Rowe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Magny now steps up on short notice to take on the undefeated Ian Garry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why Bet on Ian Machado Garry?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Moving onto \u201cThe Future\u201d Ian Garry, the undefeated prospect brings a youthful energy and an unyielding hunger to prove himself against a seasoned contender.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Garry\u2019s striking game is nothing short of impressive, averaging a remarkable 6.85 significant strikes landed per minute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Neil Magny vs. Ian Machado Garry Betting Analysis:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The alteration to this bout has now pitted Ian Garry against arguably the more challenging of the two welterweights. If Magny can utilize his grappling prowess to control the fight and neutralize his striking power, he could sway the momentum in his favor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Magny\u2019s advantage lies in his experience, versatility, and ability to mix striking with grappling. He can exploit Garry\u2019s relative inexperience by taking the fight to the ground, where his takedowns and submission skills could shine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, Garry\u2019s speed and unpredictable attacks could prove to be a challenge that Magny needs to navigate carefully. Ian Garry\u2019s lack of understanding of his timing and explosive striking demands respect, and if he can control the distance and impose his striking pace, he will likely overwhelm Magny with volume and precision. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
UFC 292: <\/strong>Marlon Vera vs. Pedro Munhoz<\/h2>\n\n\n\nWhy Bet on Marlon Vera?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Chito Vera is one of the most-liked bantamweight fighters on the UFC roster. He is an Ecuadorian fighter with a great story of his journey to becoming one of the most successful fighters in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He has a professional MMA record of 20-8 with eight TKO\/KOs and eight submissions at the age of 30, including being the only one to finish the current title contender, Sean O’Malley.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why Bet on Pedro Munhoz?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Munhoz is one of the most consistent bantamweights in the UFC. He has a professional record of 20-7, with five TKO\/KOs and eight submissions under his belt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Brazilian fights with a lot of heart and power, but besides his NC against Sean O’Malley recently, he has 2 wins and 4 losses in his last 7 matches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Marlon Vera vs. Pedro Munhoz Betting Analysis:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
This match was originally set for Marlon Vera to fight Henry Cejudo, but Cejudo’s injury had him pulling out of the clash. The UFC had to look around to keep Marlon active on the card, but even though Munhoz is an active fighter, it doesn’t look like he will be able to prevent Marlon from getting back into the winning column.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We expect Chito to get his hand raised and call out the main event winner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
UFC 292: <\/strong>Mario Bautista vs. Da’Mon Blackshear<\/h2>\n\n\n\nWhy Bet on Mario Bautista?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Mario Bautista is coming off a great streak, having 4 straight victories and a full camp to prepare for his former opponent, he was starting to worry about having to sit out from the card for a moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He comes in eager to continue his momentum, and his submission game is likely to be his go-to asset for this fight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why Bet on Da’Mon Blackshear?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Da\u00b4mon Blackshear took a victory this last weekend, making it look easy with a Twister in before the first 4 minutes of the fight. It was such a clean victory that he was cleared to come and save this fight from being scrapped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is a strong submission fighter, with 9 subs, 3 KOs, and 3 decisions, so we know what he likes to do once he gets on the cage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mario Bautista vs. Da’Mon Blackshear Betting Analysis:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
In any other situation, we would give a lot more credit to Blackshear for the quick turn-around, but this one is kind of too quick, as he just went through one weight cut, and if you ask a fighter, a weight cut can wear you down worse than a fight, so having to do two in quick succession is never a good idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He might be the most dangerous submission fighter out of the two, but things may not look so good in this fight as they did on his impressive finish last time around. We expect a contested start to the match only for Blackshear to slowly wear down and fall into Bautista’s game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
UFC 292: <\/strong>Chris Weidman vs. Brad Tavares<\/h2>\n\n\n\nWhy Bet on Chris Weidman?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Once an undefeated, seemingly unimpeachable champion, Chris Weidman (15-6) sits at 2-6 since smashing Vitor Belfort in his third title defense. His most recent effort \u2014 a rematch with Uriah Hall more than a decade in the making \u2014 saw Weidman break his leg just 17 seconds into the first round.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This marks his first mixed martial arts (MMA) bout in nearly 28 months for \u201cThe All-American.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why Bet on Brad Tavares?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Tavares followed his 3-1 The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 11 run with a 7-1 UFC start, then bounced back from a 1-3 skid by winning four straight. He enters the cage this Saturday having lost four of his last six, including a knockout loss to Bruno Silva in April 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chris Weidman vs. Brad Tavares Betting Analysis:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
On the bright side, we don\u2019t see Weidman getting spectacularly injured in this match, which has become an increasingly common occurrence. That said, we don\u2019t see him winning, either. Tavares excels at peppering opponents with jabs and leg kicks while shutting down their takedowns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And while a fully intact Weidman would have been able to outmaneuver him and get his wrestling going anyway, we don\u2019t trust this surgically repaired version to do so. At this point in the former’s career, Tavares is a headache waiting to happen. Weidman doesn\u2019t hit hard enough to crack the Brazilian man’s shaky chin and he\u2019s likely too slow at this point to deal with Tavares\u2019 meat-and-potatoes offense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the end, Tavares pot-shots his way to another decision victory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
UFC 292: <\/strong>Gregory Rodrigues vs. Denis Tiuliulin<\/h2>\n\n\n\nWhy Bet on Gregory Rodrigues?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Despite falling to Jordan Williams on Contender Series, Gregory Rodrigues (13-5) racked up four wins and three post-fight bonuses in his first five UFC bouts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then came late replacement Bruno Ferreira, who shocked \u201cRobocop\u201d with a one-punch knockout in Jan. 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why Bet on Denis Tiuliulin?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Tiuliulin\u2019s 2022 UFC debut saw him step up on short notice to face Aliaskhab Khizriev, who forced him to tap midway through the second round.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Though he bounced back with a knockout of Jamie Pickett, his grappling failed him once again when Jun Yong Park finished him via a rear-naked choke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All but one of his wins have come via knockout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gregory Rodrigues vs. Denis Tiuliulin Betting Analysis:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
As with the Ferreira fight, Rodrigues has an incredibly easy and obvious way to win this fight. Tiuliulin simply does not have Octagon-worthy wrestling; if \u201cRobocop\u201d commits any effort toward bringing it to the mat, it\u2019ll pay off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The issue is that Rodrigues just loves to slug it out \u2014 and though that works out for him more often than not \u2014 Tiuliulin\u2019s got enough pop to turn his lights out. Even with that risk, it\u2019s hard to pick against Rodrigues here. He outright laps Tiuliulin on the ground and likely wins the standup more often than not thanks to his horrific power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So long as he doesn\u2019t get too sloppy, he should bulldoze Tiuliulin wherever the fight goes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n