Brian Ortega | UFC Betting Sites - The Best MMA Online Bookies

UFC 222: Cyborg vs. Kunitskaya Fight Card, TV Info, Predictions and More

A women’s featherweight title fight between Cris “Cyborg” Justino and Yana Kunitskaya isn’t exactly the main event UFC brass envisioned for UFC 222, but it’s the one that’s going to have to do.
When a lightweight title fight between Max…

When a lightweight title fight between Max Holloway and Frankie Edgar fell through because of an injury to the former, the UFC was left to put together a short-notice main event that would attract viewers.

Fortunately, Cyborg, as her nickname might suggest, is usually prepared to offer up violence when called upon, so viewers will get another title defense against former Invicta FC bantamweight champion Kunitskaya.

Edgar is still on the card despite Holloway’s absence. He’s one-half of the co-main event. Undefeated Brian Ortega will meet him in a high-profile featherweight bout that could determine who next challenges Holloway for his title.

Here’s a look at the entire card along with odds and predictions for the biggest fights.

Tickets: StubHub

Odds according to OddsShark.

Main Card (PPV at 10 p.m. ET)

Cris Cyborg (-1600) vs. Yana Kunitskaya (+800), UFC Women’s Featherweight Championship
Frankie Edgar (-175) vs. Brian Ortega (+145), featherweight
Sean O’Malley (+115) vs. Andre Soukhamthath (-150), bantamweight
Andrei Arlovski (+155) vs. Stefan Struve (-190), heavyweight
Ketlen Vieira (-160) vs. Cat Zingano (+130), women’s bantamweight

Prelims (Fox Sports 1 at 8 p.m. ET)

Mackenzie Dern (-450) vs. Ashley Yoder (+325), women’s strawweight
Beneil Dariush (-375) vs. Alexander Hernandez (+285), lightweight
John Dodson (-170) vs. Pedro Munhoz (+140), bantamweight
CB Dolloway (+120) vs. Hector Lombard (-150), middleweight

Prelims (Fight Pass at 6:30 p.m. ET)

Zak Ottow (-280) vs. Mike Pyle (+220), welterweight
Bryan Caraway (+130) vs. Cody Stamann (-160), bantamweight
Jordan Johnson (-305) vs. Adam Milstead (+235), light heavyweight

Cris Cyborg vs. Yana Kunitskaya

Kunitskaya is trying to sell this fight.

“I know that she’s strong, but I don’t think she has that strong of knockout power,” Kunitskaya said, per Mike Bohn and John Morgan of MMAjunkie. “She has no clean knockouts where girls go down, like Holly (Holm) have. But yes, she’s very tough. She finishes all the fights by technical knockout. I think I’m strong, too, strong enough to compare with her.”

To say Cyborg doesn’t have “that strong of knockout power” is akin to saying Tom Brady doesn’t throw “that good of a spiral.”

It’s difficult to find anyone who can challenge Cyborg in any real way. Her combination of power, speed and technical skill is too much for most fighters in the division to handle.

Holly Holm was the most recent to try, and she prevailed in surviving the fight, but she couldn’t topple the Brazilian.

Kunitskaya isn’t on Holm’s level, though. Holm is one of the best out-fighters in her division, with the ability to stick and move without engaging on her opponent’s terms. Kunitskaya is the kind of fighter who is going to look to close the distance and get Cyborg to the mat.

That’s generally a recipe to find some devastating strikes and see a shortened night.

Prediction: Cyborg via first-round TKO.

Frankie Edgar vs. Brian Ortega

The crown jewel of this fight card is the co-main event.

Edgar could have waited around for Holloway to heal up, but he chose to take a fight with Ortega, and the fans should be grateful—it is the most intriguing high-profile fight on the card, and it isn’t particularly close.

The former lightweight champion is one of the known quantities in the division and has fought for the featherweight crown twice, losing both times to Jose Aldo. The Brazilian is still the only man to beat him at 145 pounds.

Ortega is a strong threat to be the second man on that list, though. The 27-year-old is on a tear, with his 13-0 career record highlighted by five straight finishes.

T-City is an especially strong grappler, but he will come into the bout at a striking disadvantage with Edgar.

The question is when we will see a decline in Edgar’s athleticism. Ortega is by no means a dynamo, but he will aggressively pursue takedowns and isn’t afraid to exchange to set them up. If Edgar isn’t his usual hard-to-hold-down self, it could be bad news for him.

At 36, the time might be coming soon. Ortega has been steadily taking on increasingly difficult challenges. He’s up to the task and should be the No. 1 contender coming out of UFC 222.

Prediction: Ortega via third-round submission.

Ketlen Vieira vs. Cat Zingano

On a relatively light main card, the opening bout between Cat Zingano and Ketlen Vieira does at least provide some intrigue.

It features the return of a former women’s bantamweight challenger in Zingano and an undeniable fast-riser in the division in Vieira.

For Zingano, it’s a chance to return to relevance. She’s ranked No. 6 in the division, but that’s largely on reputation. She was obviously a top contender in the Ronda Rousey era, but the division is changing, and it will be her chance to prove she still belongs.

Still, despite the inactivity and injuries, Zingano believes she’s the best fighter in the division.

“I 100 percent think I’m the best 135-pound girl in the world,” Zingano said, per MMA Fighting‘s Eugene Leydon. “I always have. You know, I haven’t lost that, and I do realize that there are circumstances that go into proving it. The point is proving it is what matters.”

Vieira, at 26, represents the new guard. With a relentless approach and a strong grappling game, she’s shown a penchant for wearing down opponents until they lose a decision or fall into a submission.

If Zingano is to prove she is still one of the elite fighters in the division, it’s going to be a hard night.

It’s more likely Vieira picks up an important win in her quest to break into the top of the division.

Prediction: Vieira via decision.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Frankie Edgar Explains Why He Accepted Fight Against Brian Ortega At UFC 222

There are some fight fans who still do not understand why Frankie Edgar took his next fight. UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway was forced to pull out of his next title defense against the former UFC lightweight champion at UFC 222 due to injury. As a result of this fight being scrapped, the UFC had […]

The post Frankie Edgar Explains Why He Accepted Fight Against Brian Ortega At UFC 222 appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

There are some fight fans who still do not understand why Frankie Edgar took his next fight.

UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway was forced to pull out of his next title defense against the former UFC lightweight champion at UFC 222 due to injury.

As a result of this fight being scrapped, the UFC had to make some changes to that fight card. Cris Cyborg vs. Yana Kunitskaya in a female featherweight title bout will serve as the headliner.

Now, Edgar is slated to take on fellow top contender Brian Ortega at the upcoming pay-per-view event in the co-main event.

Edgar recently did an interview with MMAJunkie during fight week, and during that interview, he explained once again why he decided to take this fight.

“I like things the hard way, I guess,” Edgar told MMAjunkie. “Nothing comes easy. I’m OK with that. If I think I’m the best guy, I should be able to beat anybody. … I haven’t fought since May. It’s just too long to wait. In December, I pretty much got to the end of the training camp (before I pulled out of UFC 218 against Holloway) and didn’t get that release.

“I always tell people, ‘The week after your fight is just a very good time.’ You get to release, relax, unwind mentally – everything. I didn’t get that. Here we are, four weeks away from it, I didn’t want to have to go through that again. So let’s just get one out of the way and take it from there.”

“It just shows the type of person I am, the type of fighter I am,” Edgar said. “I don’t know if you want to call it like ‘an old school guy’ or what, but you’ve got to go out there, you’ve got to perform in order to get what you want. I’m willing to put my skills on the line and put my heart on the line just to say I’m the best and prove that I can achieve this title.”

UFC 222 is set to take place on Saturday, March 3, 2018, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.The main card will air on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET while the preliminary card will air on FOX Sports 1 at 8 p.m. ET and the promotion’s streaming service, UFC Fight Pass 6:30 p.m. ET.

“You always have to play it safe no matter who you’re fighting,” Edgar said. “I don’t fight any easy guys. I haven’t maybe ever in the UFC. To me, you’ve always got to be safe. But I don’t want to have my foot on the brake at all. My foot is going to be on the gas, and I’m going to be smart at everything.”

The post Frankie Edgar Explains Why He Accepted Fight Against Brian Ortega At UFC 222 appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

UFC 222: Cyborg vs. Kunitskaya Odds, Tickets, Predictions and Pre-Weigh-in Hype

A women’s featherweight title fight between Cris “Cyborg” Justino and Yana Kunitskaya isn’t exactly the main event that UFC brass envisioned for UFC 222, but it’s the one that’s going to have to do.
When a title fight between Max Holloway and Fra…

When a title fight between Max Holloway and Frankie Edgar fell through due to an injury to Holloway, the UFC was left to put together a short-notice main event that would attract viewers.

Fortunately, Cyborg, as her nickname might suggest, is usually prepared to offer up more violence when called upon, so viewers will get another title defense against Invicta FC featherweight champion Kunitskaya.

Edgar is still on the card despite the loss of Holloway. He’s one-half of the co-main event. Undefeated Brian Ortega will meet him in a high-profile featherweight bout that could determine who next challenges Holloway for his title.

Here’s a look at the entire card along with odds and predictions for the biggest fights.

Tickets: StubHub

Odds via OddsShark

Main Card (PPV at 10 p.m. ET)

Cris Cyborg (-1600) vs. Yana Kunitskaya (+800) – women’s featherweight championship
Frankie Edgar (-175) vs. Brian Ortega (+145) – featherweight
Sean O’Malley (+115) vs. Andre Soukhamthath (-150) – bantamweight
Andrei Arlovski (+155) vs. Stefan Struve (-190) – heavyweight
Ketlen Vieira (-160) vs. Cat Zingano (+130) – women’s bantamweight

Prelims (Fox Sports 1 at 8 p.m. ET)

Mackenzie Dern (-450) vs. Ashley Yoder (+325) – women’s strawweight
Beneil Dariush (-375) vs. Alexander Hernandez (+285) – lightweight
John Dodson (-170) vs. Pedro Munhoz (+140) – bantamweight
CB Dolloway (+120) vs. Hector Lombard (-150) – middleweight

Prelims (Fight Pass at 6:30 p.m. ET)

Zak Ottow (-280) vs. Mike Pyle (+220) – welterweight
Bryan Caraway (+130) vs. Cody Stamann (-160) – bantamweight
Jordan Johnson (-305) vs. Adam Milstead (+235) – light heavyweight

Cris Cyborg vs. Yana Kunitskaya

Kunitskaya is trying to sell this fight.

To say Cyborg doesn’t have “that strong of knockout power” is akin to saying Tom Brady doesn’t throw “that good of a spiral.”

It’s difficult to find fighters that can challenge Cyborg in any real way. Her combination of power, speed and technical skill is too much for most fighters in the division to handle.

Holly Holm was the most recent to try, and she prevailed in surviving the fight, but she couldn’t topple the Brazilian.

Kunitskaya isn’t on the same level of Holm, though. Holm is one of the best out-fighters in her division, with the ability to stick and move without engaging on her opponent’s terms. Kunitskaya is the kind of fighter who is going to look to close the distance and get Cyborg to the mat.

That’s generally a recipe to find some devastating strikes and see a shortened night.

Prediction: Cyborg via first-round TKO

Frankie Edgar vs. Brian Ortega

The crown jewel of this fight card is the co-main event.

Edgar is one of the known quantities in the division. The former lightweight champion has fought for the featherweight crown twice and lost both times to Jose Aldo. The Brazilian is still the only man to beat him at 145 pounds.

Ortega is a strong threat to be the second man on that list, though. The 27-year-old is on a tear with his 13-0 career record, highlighted by five straight finishes.

T-City is an especially strong grappler, though he will come into the bout at a striking disadvantage with Edgar.

The question is when we’ll see a decline in Edgar’s athleticism. Ortega is by no means a dynamo, but he will aggressively pursue takedowns and isn’t afraid to exchange to set them up. If Edgar isn’t his usual hard-to-hold-down self, it could be bad news for him.

At 36 years old, the time might be coming soon. Ortega has been steadily taking on increasingly difficult challenges. He’s up to the task and should be the No. 1 contender coming out of UFC 222.

Prediction: Ortega via third-round submission

Ketlen Vieira vs. Cat Zingano

On a relatively light main card, the opening bout featuring Cat Zingano and Ketlen Vieira does at least provide some intrigue.

It features the return of a former women’s bantamweight challenger in Zingano and an undeniable fast-riser in the division in Vieira.

For Zingano, it’s a chance to return to relevance. She’s ranked No. 6 in the division, but that’s largely on reputation at this point. She was obviously a top contender in the Ronda Rousey era of the division, but it’s a weight class that is changing, and it’ll be her chance to prove she still belongs.

Still, despite the inactivity and injuries, Zingano believes she’s still the best fighter in the division.

“I 100 percent think I’m the best 135-pound girl in the world, I always have,” Zingano said, per MMA Fighting‘s Eugene Leydon. “You know, I haven’t lost that, and I do realize that there are circumstances that go into proving it. The point is proving it is what matters.”

Vieira, at 26 years old, represents the new guard. With a relentless approach and a strong grappling game, she’s shown a penchant for wearing opponents down until they lose a decision or fall into a submission.

If Zingano is to prove that she is still really one of the elite fighters in the division, it’s going to be a hard night.

It’s more likely that Vieira picks up an important win in her quest to break into the top of the division.

Prediction: Vieira via decision

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Brian Ortega: I Don’t Feel Jeremy Stephens is a Dirty Fighter

Brian Ortega doesn’t view Jeremy Stephens as a cheater. Ortega is a fellow featherweight, who is in for the biggest bout of his professional mixed martial arts career. “T-City” will meet Frankie Edgar this Saturday night (March 3). Th…

Frankie Edgar Opens Up On Accepting Fight Against Brian Ortega At UFC 222

The last week or so has been a wild time for Frankie Edgar. UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway was forced to pull out of his next title defense against the former UFC lightweight champion at UFC 222 due to injury. As a result of this fight being scrapped, the UFC had to make some changes […]

The post Frankie Edgar Opens Up On Accepting Fight Against Brian Ortega At UFC 222 appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

The last week or so has been a wild time for Frankie Edgar.

UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway was forced to pull out of his next title defense against the former UFC lightweight champion at UFC 222 due to injury.

As a result of this fight being scrapped, the UFC had to make some changes to that fight card.

With Edgar not wanting to sit around until Holloway is healthy enough to fight again, the former champ decided to fight in the mean time as he is slated to battle fellow top contender Brian Ortega at the upcoming pay-per-view event in the co-main event.

Some fight fans questioned Edgar’s decision to accept this fight, which is against a dangerous fighter.

Thus, he decided to speak with Ariel Helwani on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour to explain why he thought it was a good idea to accept this fight contact.

“I was pissed, man,” Edgar admitted to host Ariel Helwani. “Obviously we were supposed to get down in December and I got injured, and now here we go, he gets injured, so it’s just unfortunate. It’s the way things go. I was bummed for a little bit, a little bit depressed, but you know, I got over it, man. I just wanted to stay on the card. I’m itching to fight, it’s been too long, so here we are. Now we’ve got to fight Ortega.”

“Man, I haven’t fought since May. I just didn’t want to wait,” Edgar said. “Time’s ticking and I want to get in there. Last time I got (hurt), I think, three weeks before the fight, so I have a bunch of camps under myself and no fight to show for it, so I just want to go in there and put my skills to use. I only get paid if I fight, so I definitely want to get in there.

“I’m glad it was Ortega, because it makes the most sense,” Edgar added. “He’s No. 3, right under me, and that actually makes the most sense for the division. But yeah, at that point, man, I was just wanting to make sure I had someone to fight.”

UFC 222 is set to take place on March 3, 2018, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main card will air on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET while the preliminary card will air on FOX Sports 1 at 8 p.m. ET.

“He’s game. He’s about as game as it gets,” Edgar said of Ortega. “He’s not scared to sit there and throw with the best of them. He’s got a very slick guard, dangerous jiu-jitsu game. So he’s a dangerous opponent and I’ve got to give him credit to jump on this fight on short notice. But I think he got a new contract, he could take my spot, so he has a lot of things on the table that could get going for him too.

“Holloway’s no joke either on his back and with his submission game, and their body types are very similar, so it wasn’t too much of a change,” Edgar added. “And I’ve got (coaches) Ricardo Almeida and Mark Henry in my corner always adjusting things as we go, so I know I’m confident in my preparation and what these guys have been working on.”

“I take pride that I win when people don’t think I’m gonna,” Edgar said. “I don’t think like, ‘Oh, I’m going to ruin this guy’s plans,’ or anything like that. I just want to make sure my plans stay intact, and that’s what I do: Go out there and just try to win fights. I don’t care if I’m fighting a guy that I’m supposed to beat, not supposed to beat, younger, older. The objective is still the same, I want to go in there and win.”

The post Frankie Edgar Opens Up On Accepting Fight Against Brian Ortega At UFC 222 appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

UFC 222 Early Preview: What Are the Biggest and Best Fights Set for Las Vegas?

UFC 222 looked really, really bad for a little while. The event was set to be a one-fight card, offering little intrigue past the headlining bout between Max Holloway and Frankie Edgar. When that one fight fell through, it seemed like the event would b…

In a strange turn of events, however, the injury to Holloway alongside a few unfortunate turns for recent fight-night events have transformed UFC 222 into the best event of 2018 thus far. The full card stands as follows:

Main Card (Pay-Per-View)

Cris Cyborg vs. Yana Kunitskaya
Frankie Edgar vs. Brian Ortega
Sean O’Malley vs. Andre Soukhamthath
Stefan Struve vs. Andrei Arlovski
Cat Zingano vs. Ketlen Vieira

Preliminary Card (Fox Sports 1)

Ashley Yoder vs. Mackenzie Dern
Beneil Dariush vs. Bobby Green
John Dodson vs. Pedro Munhoz
CB Dollaway vs. Hector Lombard

Preliminary Card (UFC Fight Pass)

Mike Pyle vs. Zak Ottow
Bryan Caraway vs. Cody Stamann
Jordan Johnson vs. Adam Milstead

From the quick, card-saving turnaround from women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg, to the mouth-watering co-main event matchup to the numerous top-10 names on the preliminary card, UFC 222 has a lot to offer to fans.

But what are the biggest fights on the card? And what are the best? Read on and find out!

The Main Event: Cris Cyborg vs. Yana Kunitskaya

Filling in for the injured men’s featherweight champion is the women’s featherweight champion, Cris “Cyborg” Justino.

Any longtime MMA fan is more than familiar with what Cyborg offers at this point: pure violence. True, the Brazilian is much more than a simple brawler—as she proved when she outpointed former UFC champion Holly Holm in December—but when fans turn on the TV to see her fight, they’re not looking for a contest, they’re looking to see her maul some poor woman.

The “poor woman” at UFC 222 is Yana Kunitskaya.

Kunitskaya is far from the worst fighter that Cyborg has ever faced. The Russian striker has been in the MMA game since 2009 and built up an 8-1 record on the European circuit before taking a hiatus in 2012. She returned to the cage in 2016 and made the jump stateside not long after, making a big splash and ultimately capturing gold in her brief career with Invicta FC.

But while Kunitskaya has proved herself to be a generally solid fighter, she doesn’t necessarily have anything new to offer Cyborg, who is unquestionably and indisputably the single best female fighter on the planet. The question isn’t if Cyborg will win, it’s about whether she will bust Kunitskaya up en route to a decision or run her over before things get that far.

The Co-Main Event: Frankie Edgar vs. Brian Ortega

Fans planning to attend UFC 222 owe Frankie Edgar a big thank-you. The former lightweight champion was supposed to receive a crack at Holloway in the main event of this card, but when Holloway withdrew due to a leg injury, Edgar stuck around instead of continuing his chase for the elusive featherweight title.

Was that a wise move, though? Well, probably not. Now in the co-main event of UFC 222, Edgar is poised to face Brian Ortega.

Since debuting in the UFC in 2014, Ortega has been on many “hot prospects” lists and, to this point, has lived up to any and all hype pinned on him. His UFC record stands at 5-0 (1) (with that 1 being a no-contest stemming from a failed drug test) with each win coming inside the distance. While there was a brief time where it was justified to wonder if those talents would translate to the division’s elite, he passed a big test in December when he submitted top-10 staple Cub Swanson in just two rounds.

At this point, it’s easy to wonder if anyone is capable of stopping Ortega, but facing those sorts of indomitable monsters is an all-too-familiar position for Edgar. The Answer has been doubted in many of his recent fights but, far more often than not, manages to come out on top.

Ortega may be the man to finally knock Edgar down his long-held seat as the world’s No. 2 featherweight. Then again, he may just end up being the latest up-and-comer to get put in his place.

Fight to Keep an Eye On: Ashley Yoder vs. Mackenzie Dern

Mackenzie Dern is one of the hottest prospects in MMA today. And how could she not be?

Dern entered the MMA world in 2016 to much fanfare, carrying a slew of medals and awards from her years in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Those grappling skills served her well as she transitioned from the mats to the cage, too, and saw her encounter little resistance as she built up her highlight reel on the regional scene.

From there, she jumped over to Invicta FC and had little trouble finishing former title contender Kaline Medeiros.

Despite being green, the UFC decided to bring her up to the main roster. She debuts at UFC 222 against Ashley Yoder.

Yoder, quite frankly, is supposed to be a showcase opponent for Dern. 0-2 in the Octagon and without any particularly noteworthy in-cage skills, Yoder has few tools to impede Dern’s offense and even fewer tools to threaten her.

This is a fight tailor-made for Dern to win. While she can’t be viewed as a slam dunk to win because her actual in-cage experience is so limited, there is little reason to doubt her here.

The Best of the Rest

Cat Zingano vs. Ketlen Vieira: Cat Zingano is back! The longtime bantamweight contender has fought just three times since her dramatic comeback win over Miesha Tate in 2013, but she remains one of the division’s most interesting talents based on her solid wrestling and knockout power. She has the chance to reestablish herself as a title contender at the expense of a surging Ketlen Vieira, who jumped into the top-five by beating Sara McMann.

Stefan Struve vs. Andre Arlovski: These two heavyweight veterans have fallen on hard times of late and it’s easy to wonder if the loser of this fight might get booted. The good thing is that this is an unpredictable matchup and should be exciting.

John Dodson vs. Pedro Munhoz: UFC Belem’s loss was UFC 222’s gain as the Fight Night co-main event was moved here. In theory, Dodson is the favorite as he is better established against higher-end competition. But make no mistake, Munhoz is legit and has everything he needs to pick up a win here.

Bryan Caraway vs. Cody Stamann: After an extended layoff, Bryan Caraway is back in the cage. The veteran hasn’t been seen since posting an at-the-time upset victory over Aljamain Sterling and has a lot of work to do in terms of reasserting himself as an elite bantamweight. He has a good opportunity to do so as he faces an untested, unseasoned Cody Stamann.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com