Michael Chiesa

UFC 310 Best Underdog Bets and Upsets

UFC 310 Best Underdog Bets and Upsets As UFC 310 approaches, a host of intriguing underdog opportunities are sparking interest among bettors. Let’s spotlight several underdogs…

As UFC 310 approaches, a host of intriguing underdog opportunities are sparking interest among bettors. Let’s spotlight several underdogs presenting compelling reasons for bettors to consider them as viable upset candidates. Aljamain Sterling, Alexander Volkov, and Michael Chiesa all possess the skills and experience to defy the odds.

UFC 310 Best Underdog Bets

Kai Asakura

While Alexandre Pantoja is the favorite, Kai Asakura presents a genuine threat to pull off an upset at UFC 310. Asakura, entering as a +200 to +230 underdog, brings devastating knockout power to the octagon, particularly with his brutal knee strikes that have ended his last two fights. Much like finding the best paying online pokies in Australia at PayidPokies bettors seeking high-value odds might find that Asakura’s explosive power could offer a rewarding return if he pulls off a shock victory at UFC 310.

This power could be the equalizer against Pantoja’s aggressive style. Pantoja, despite being a -250 to -270 favorite, has shown vulnerability to being hit in the past, which could play into Asakura’s hands. The Japanese challenger’s explosive striking and significant knockout power makes him a dangerous opponent, even if he’s making his UFC debut and fighting at flyweight for the first time in years.

If Asakura can time one of his signature knees or right hooks to catch Pantoja coming in, he has the potential to shock the world and become the first Japanese UFC champion.

Aljamain Sterling

One of the most appealing live underdogs is Aljamain Sterling at +215 odds against Movsar Evloev. Despite being the former bantamweight champion, Sterling finds himself as a sizeable underdog in this featherweight matchup. His strong wrestling and grappling skills make him a dangerous opponent even against the undefeated Evloev. Sterling’s experience at the highest level and ability to rise to big occasions give him a solid chance at pulling off the upset.

Alexander Volkov

Another underdog worth a look is Alexander Volkov at +295 against Ciryl Gane. While Gane won their first meeting, Volkov has been on an impressive four-fight win streak, including victories over top heavyweights. His technical striking and use of his reach make him a live underdog, especially considering the value in his odds. Volkov’s consistency and recent form suggest he has a real shot at avenging his previous loss to Gane.

Lastly, although not as big of an underdog, Michael Chiesa at -108 against Max Griffin presents an interesting opportunity. Chiesa’s grappling skills and durability make him a tough matchup for Griffin, who has struggled against higher-level competition. Chiesa’s ability to control the fight on the ground could be the key to securing a victory, making him a solid underdog pick despite the close odds.

As fight night approaches, fans and bettors alike will be watching closely to see if these underdogs can live up to their potential and deliver unexpected outcomes, adding another layer of excitement to UFC 310.

Michael Chiesa Has a Surprise Gameplan Ready for Max Griffin ‘More than just a grappler’

Michael Chiesa will be facing Max Griffin at UFC 310 in a vital welterweight matchup. ‘Maverick’ Chiesa is primarily…

Michael Chiesa will be facing Max Griffin at UFC 310 in a vital welterweight matchup. ‘Maverick’ Chiesa is primarily a grappler but is ready to meet ‘Pain’ Griffin on the feet on December 7.

Michael Chiesa Gameplan for Max Griffin

The US-born Michael Chiesa is primarily a grappler who began wrestling when he was only 11 years old. In his professional MMA career, he has won an impressive sixty-five percent of his matches by way of submission. At UFC 310, he will face Max Griffin who is a powerful striker who aims for the knockout. But, Chiesa says that there may be a surprise in store for Griffin when they meet.

Speaking in an interview with James Lynch, Michael Chiesa explained:

“I still feel like I haven’t shown my full game. I have so many guys I train with who are like, “When the hell are you just gonna stand up with these guys?” Everyone sees what I do in the gym, and they ask when I’m going to show the world that I’ve got knockout power in my hands and good striking. But I think, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. If Max brings out the other side of me, though, I’m ready to show the world how well-rounded I am—more than just a grappler.”

In his most recent bout on August 3, 2024, Chiesa secured a first-round submission victory over Tony Ferguson. Prior to that, he faced a setback in July 2023, losing to Kevin Holland via submission in the first round. Griffin’s recent performances have been mixed, with his last fight on February 10, 2024, resulting in a split decision victory over Jeremiah Wells. Before that, he suffered a unanimous decision loss to Michael Morales in July 2023.

Their upcoming matchup at UFC 310 promises to be an intriguing clash of styles, pitting Chiesa’s grappling ability against Griffin’s striking abilities, but ‘Maverick’ is ready if it stays on the feet.

Michael Chiesa Ready to Put Friendship Aside to Defeat Max Griffin ‘I’m pretty pumped about it.’

Maverick’ Michael Chiesa will soon be facing ‘Pain’ Max Griffin at UFC 310 upcoming on December 7. Fighting against…

Maverick’ Michael Chiesa will soon be facing ‘Pain’ Max Griffin at UFC 310 upcoming on December 7. Fighting against a friend of his is no issue whatsoever.

Michael Chiesa to Fight His Friend

The American grappler Michael Chiesa has trained with Max Griffin previously and they consider each other friends. But this will be put aside for their welterweight showdown. Speaking in an interview with James Lynch, ‘Maverick’ explained:

“I was happy to get Max as an opponent. He’s a total stud. Him and I—I would consider him a friend. You know, when we catch each other in passing, it’s always a good conversation. He’s a West Coast guy; I’m a West Coast guy …

“It’s fun when you get to lay it all on the line against somebody you have a ton of respect for. And it’s a fun fight. It’s kind of nice being out of the rankings right now because, when you’re in the rankings, you’re hyper-focused on 10 to 12 or 15 guys. You kind of have an idea of who you’re going to fight …

“You just don’t know who it’s going to be, and you can’t really predict. So, when they came to me with Max Griffin, I got stoked about it. Add in the fact that it’s on my birthday—it makes it even more fun. So yeah, I’m pretty pumped about it.”

Michael Chiesa is a skilled grappler who has been in wrestling for the majority of his life. Since turning to professional MMA, he has won the vast majority of his fights by way of submission. He believes this will be an advantage against the striking-focused Max Griffin. He said:

“It’s no secret what me and Max like to do. Max wants to go out there and take my head off. He’s got a great right hand, and I think he’s deceptively well-rounded—more well-rounded than people give him credit for. I feel like the same can be said for me. Obviously, Plan A is to take you down and submit you.“

Michael Chiesa and Max Griffin are set to face off at UFC 310, bringing together two experienced welterweight fighters with contrasting styles and backgrounds.

UFC Analyst Believes Colby Covington Was Pushed Into Buckley Fight: ‘You Got To Step Up!’

Following the major reshuffling of the cards that took place at welterweight, the former interim champion Colby Covington is set to return next month to face Joaquin Buckley in the main event of UFC Tampa. “Chaos” replaced Ian Machado Garry who in turn, replaced Belal Muhammad in order to face Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310. […]

“Chaos” replaced Ian Machado Garry who in turn, replaced Belal Muhammad in order to face Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310. Covington and Garry have been going back-and-forth at several points throughout the year with the Irishman accusing, both before and after this fight was announced, the #6-ranked contender of ducking him.

In three of Covington’s last five appearances inside the Octagon, three of them have been in welterweight title fights. He rebounded from both losses to Kamaru Usman by beating Tyron Woodley and Jorge Masvidal before challenging Leon Edwards in his latest outing at UFC 296 last year where he was convincingly beaten over five rounds.

Some fans weren’t happy to see Covington got the title shot against Edwards having not fought since his win over Masvidal in March of 2022 and that only increased following his disappointing performance against “Rocky”. When UFC analyst and fellow welterweight Michael Chiesa broke down this fight in an interview with Sportskeeda, he said that Buckley’s hunger is what wins him this fight.

Chiesa believes that Covington was likely persuaded to take this fight by the UFC rather than it being an opportunity that he was biting their hand off for.

“Buck, Buck all day. I think Joaquin Buckley is an incredible athlete, tremendous power, very, very hungry and that is the most important part in this match-up between Colby and Joaquin. Buckley is war more hungry than Colby Covington, I can tell you that much, like Buckley is chomping at the bit to fight anybody and everybody.

“I think that Colby, I don’t know, I have a feeling, I haven’t heard anything but I have a feeling that the UFC was like, ‘You have to take this fight. At some point, you got to step up.’ I know you kind of got to sweeten the pot with Colby to get him into the Octagon and get him competing but it’s got to the point where it’s like you fought for the title three times, you don’t get the extra flavor to your dish for taking a fight. It’s like you have to just start fighting if you want to get to a title. You can’t have any guarantees.”

UFC Analyst References Training Footage To Break Down Rakhmonov vs. Garry

The co-main event of UFC 310 next month may be a replacement match-up but as far as a stand-in fights go, they don’t get much better than this one. One undefeated streak will come to an end in Las Vegas as Shavkat Rakhmonov faces Ian Machado Garry over five rounds. Though there isn’t an interim […]

Though there isn’t an interim title on the line following Belal Muhammad’s withdrawal from the card like many expected there would be, both men know what is at stake in this top level clash in the welterweight division. In fact, the two competitors also know a bit about each other already due to the period of time where they were both training out of Kill Cliff FC in Florida.

Following the fight announcement, a video of the opponents sparring some light rounds with one another went out on social media and though there wasn’t much to gain from this footage, it did show that both men have squared off in the past.

Shavkat Rakhmonov and Ian Garry sparring pic.twitter.com/BJFPdzRcYX

— MMA Mania (@mmamania) November 18, 2024

As a result, UFC analyst and fellow welterweight contender Michael Chiesa believes that this familiarity will show in the fight. He spoke in a recent interview with Sportskeeda about his thoughts on the bout that will take place the same night as his return against Max Griffin.

Chiesa believes that the element of surprise could decide this fight because of how skilled both fighters are as well as the element of already experiencing each other’s games first-hand.

“I’ll keep it short. There’s some sparring footage that came out of Ian Garry and Shavkat. I think that they’re both gonna be very familiar with each other and I will go out on a limb and say I think this fight goes to a decision. I think these guys are familiar with each other enough to where they’re going to negate a few of the attacks and it’s going to be a matter of who can come in there and throw a new wrinkle into their game to throw off the opponent.”

Michael Chiesa Offers Advice To Struggling Fighters After Nearly Retiring Before Recent Bounce Back Win

Before his last fight inside the Octagon in August, Michael Chiesa found himself in the worst patch of form of his career. The former winner of The Ultimate Fighter has overcome losses in the past and did suffer back-to-back defeats to Kevin Lee and Anthony Pettis once before. However, in three consecutive outings, he was […]

Continue Reading Michael Chiesa Offers Advice To Struggling Fighters After Nearly Retiring Before Recent Bounce Back Win at MMA News.

However, in three consecutive outings, he was without a win after being submitted by Vicente Luque and Kevin Holland with a decision loss to Sean Brady in between. Chiesa was able to get back in the win column in Abu Dhabi when he submitted Tony Ferguson in the first round.

He’s now set to return at UFC 310 in search of a second win when he faces Max Griffin to keep his momentum pushing forward. In the build up to this fight, the commentator and desk analyst revealed that he seriously contemplated retirement during his losing streak.

If he wasn’t able to compete at the highest level anymore, he would hang up the gloves and look to continue pursuing the avenues that he’s already started to go down in recent years. In an interview with Shakiel Mahjouri, Chiesa spoke about working with a sport psychologist and what his biggest takeaways from that were.

When asked what advice he would pass on to struggling fighters that may find themselves in a similar position to the one that he was in, he spoke about the importance of having goals but focusing on the present rather than looking too far ahead.

“I think the biggest thing that I would say is focus on being in the present moment. That is something that I struggled with. Looking too far ahead like I’m looking too far ahead at the title or I’m looking too far ahead at the fight and worrying about getting hurt or like just looking too far ahead and not being present. It’s very important to be present in the moment every single day with your training. It’s good to have goals but you don’t have to dwell on the future and what’s yet to come or what you want to happen. You set the goals and then you put them aside and just focus on being in the moment.”

Continue Reading Michael Chiesa Offers Advice To Struggling Fighters After Nearly Retiring Before Recent Bounce Back Win at MMA News.