Tag: UFC predictions

Opinion | Fights To Make After UFC Orlando: Thompson vs. Holland

UFC OrlandoUFC Orlando certainly delivered a fantastic card. A heavy hitter in the heavyweight division emerged as a potential title contender following another first-round finish. A legend of the sport rolled back the clock with a striking masterclass in the main event to reinstate himself as a contender in the welterweight division. Fresh faces also established […]

UFC Orlando

UFC Orlando certainly delivered a fantastic card. A heavy hitter in the heavyweight division emerged as a potential title contender following another first-round finish. A legend of the sport rolled back the clock with a striking masterclass in the main event to reinstate himself as a contender in the welterweight division. Fresh faces also established themselves with two very impressive victories in the opening matchups on the card.

Let us take a look at all of those who emerged victorious from the entire UFC Orlando card and plot where their next fights should take place again.

Stephen Thompson

Stephen Thompson and Kevin Holland provided a captivating end to a truly fantastic card in the main event of UFC Orlando. Despite being just shy of forty, Thompson rolled back time to deliver a striking masterclass on his way to a TKO finish over Kevin Holland.

Now as everyone knows, Stephen Thompson does not fair well when facing up against opponents with strong wrestling/grappling. Therefore, it seems only right that his next matchup should take place against an opponent we know for certain will be looking to stand and bang with him. Jorge Masvidal could well be that man, currently unbooked and looking to get back to winning ways in 2023!

Rafael Dos Anjos

Despite his title interest being long gone as he nears the end of his brilliant career. Rafael Dos Anjos showed he still has talent in abundance as he simply outclassed Bryan Barberena on his way to a second-round submission victory.

Now for RDA, he made this one very easy for me when he went to callout out Conor McGregor during his post-fight interview. McGregor expressed an interest in competing at 170-pound when he does return and provided, he will be back inside the octagon in early 2023, this matchup seems very fitting for both men.

Matheus Nicolau

Matheus Nicolau announced himself as a serious contender following his finish over the always-game Matt Schnell at UFC Orlando. It seems only right that Nicolau should get a crack at the top five in the flyweight division since he has built up an impressive four-fight winning streak. Provided he is willing to wait for Brandon Royval to recover from his injury I can only expect fireworks should these two eventually meet inside the octagon.

Sergei Pavlovich

We may have a serious contender in the heavyweight division in Sergei Pavlovich. Two back-to-back first-round finishes have seen him shoot up to the 5th-ranked spot in his division. Next for Pavlovich needs to be a fellow top-five contender. Given that the two were previously scheduled to fight, I’d like to see the Russian test himself with the former interim heavyweight champion, Cyril Gane.

Roman Dolidze

Roman Dolidze may have had one of the best years for a fighter following his three-fight finishing streak to cap off 2022. A short-notice bout in which many did not have him favored has now landed him in the top ten of the middleweight rankings following his finish over Jack Hermanson. Let us continue to move him up the rankings and give him a matchup against veteran fighter, Derek Brunson.

Eryk Anders

Eryk Anders took advantage of what many would consider a too-soon turnaround for Kyle Daukaus. Anders snapped a two-fight skid as he picked up a 2nd round TKO at UFC Orlando. Next for Anders comes a test in fellow hard hitter in Marc Andre Barriault.

Phillip Rowe

Phillip Rowe overcame adversity on his way to a third-round TKO over Niko Price in the headline prelim of UFC Orlando. Following this win, Rowe has gone 3/3 in his last three outings with all of his victories coming via finish. I’d like to see Rowe take on Khaos Williams in his next matchup as a final test before attempting to make his way up the welterweight rankings.

Fights To Make Following UFC Orlando: Thompson vs. Holland

Angela Hill

Angie ‘Overkill’ Hill and fights going to a decision is something that goes hand in hand. Fortunately for the 37-year-old this time the decision was in her favor. Hill was able to neutralize any threat coming from Ducote en route to her 15th professional victory. Next for Hill should be a matchup moving upwards in the strawweight rankings and that comes in the form of Amanda Ribas.

Clay Guida

Clay Guida secured an impressive victory as he entered an MMA octagon for the 60th time. As he has recently confirmed that retirement is not in his plans for any time soon, his 61st professional bout should take place against Australia-born, Jamie Mullarkey.

Michael Johnson

Michael Johnson made his experience count en route to his decision victory over Marc Diakese. Bouncing back from his defeat to Jamie Mullarkey, let’s see if Johnson can make it two on the bounce should he get the next matchup I would like for him, which is the winner of Bobby Green vs Drew Dober.

Jonathan Pearce

Jonathan Pearce put on a beatdown of Darren Elkins on his way to score his fourth consecutive victory in a fight in which he most certainly could have secured himself a finish. I believe it is time for Pearce to take a step up in competition and face former Olympian, Mark O. Madsen who will be looking to return to winning ways after suffering his first professional defeat back in November.

Natan Levy

Israel’s Natan Levy made it two wins in a row to end his 2022 on a high following his decision victory over Genaro Valdez at UFC Orlando.  Levy has shown a solid skillset on the ground to neutralize his opponents. Therefore, I would like to see him face a man who has nearly half of his victories via submission and comes in the form of ‘The Smile Killer’, Fares Ziam.

Francis Marshall

Francis Marshall made good on his promotional debut after securing a second-round finish against Marcelo Rojo. Marshall is only 23 years old and has plenty of time to develop himself as a fighter. It will be interesting to see how well he can do in the sport. Next for him should be a man he shared the card with, 38-fight veteran, Darren Elkins.

Yazmin Jauregui

Similarly, to Marshall, Jauregui delivered in the opening bout of UFC Orlando to extend her undefeated record to 10-0. For Jauregui’s next test I would like to see her matched up with a wrestler and therefore my final selection comes in the form of Sam ‘Sampage’ Hughes.

That concludes this round of the ‘Fights To Make’ Column from UFC Orlando. We shall return following the conclusion of the highly anticipated card coming that is UFC 282.

Be sure to let me know if you agree or disagree with any of the choices I have gone with. As well as let me know your thoughts on the UFC Orlando card as a whole.

UFC Fight Night: Thompson vs. Holland – Bets Bets

UFCThe UFC are back on the road this weekend, as they make the trip to Orlando with one of the most stacked Fight Night cards of the year. A welterweight clash between Stephen Thompson and Kevin Holland takes centerstage, although Tai Tuivasa vs. Sergei Pavlovich and RDA vs. Bryan Barberena are also fights that draw […]

UFC

The UFC are back on the road this weekend, as they make the trip to Orlando with one of the most stacked Fight Night cards of the year.

A welterweight clash between Stephen Thompson and Kevin Holland takes centerstage, although Tai Tuivasa vs. Sergei Pavlovich and RDA vs. Bryan Barberena are also fights that draw the eye.

Join us at LowKickMMA as we give our top 3 bets for UFC Fight Night: Thompson vs. Holland!

Thompson vs. Holland O2.5

Our first bet will be to take the over 2 and a half rounds in the main event between Stephen Thompson and Kevin Holland.

This fight will likely be a stand-up match, which may lead one to think that the likelihood of a KO finish is high. However, Stephen Thompson is an elite elusive striker, able to get in and out of range with the skills accumulated from a lifetime of training in karate.

Kevin Holland does have KO power, but Thompson’s distance management should be enough to avoid ‘Trailblazer’s’ shots, early on at least. Holland is also very durable and will be able to take everything ‘Wonderboy’ throws at him.

Betway has the Over 2.5 priced at 1.72. If you wish to get even better odds, parlaying it with Tuivasa vs. Pavlovich to go under 2.5 rounds may be a good idea.

Emily Ducote by Dec

Next, we are taking Emily Ducote to win via decision vs. Angela Hill.

Emily Ducote made her UFC debut earlier this year at UFC on ABC 3: Ortega vs. Rodriguez, where she dominated Jessica Penne over three rounds, utilizing a heavy leg kick game plan. This fight with Angela Hill will be tougher, but Ducote still has all the skills necessary to pick up a win.

Hill is now 37 years old and is 1-3 in her last 4 fights – with each one going to decision. Ducote is the rising prospect in this matchup and has the edge in both power and physicality. She should be able to pick up at least two rounds and claim a solid decision win.

Betway has Emily Ducote to win via decision priced at 2.30.

Marc Diakiese & Jonathan Pearce Parlay

Our final bet is a parlay of Marc Diakiese & Jonathan Pearce’s ML bets – the two locks of the night from the LowKickMMA UFC Fight Night: Thompson vs. Holland Preview & Betting Guide.

Marc Diakiese takes on Michael Johnson, in a fight where he has all the tools to win. Johnson is a skilled veteran but is massively lacking when it comes to his ground game. Whilst Diakiese was once known as one of the most dynamic strikers in the division, as of late, he has switched his focus to that of a wrestling game. Look for ‘Bonecrusher’ to dominate Johnson for the entirety of the fight – just as he did to Damir Hadžovi? and Viacheslav Borshchev.

Jonathan Pearce takes on Darren Elkins. Pearce has all the skills to run through the 38-year-old Elkins, who is now 3-5 in his last 8. Pearce is extremely dangerous when in top control, having finished the likes of Makwan Amirkhani, Omar Morales and Kai Kamaka III – look for him to get a late TKO finish over ‘The Damage.’

A Pearce and Diakiese ML parlay bet is priced at 1.53 on Betway.

Are you backing our bets for this UFC Fight Night event!?

Exclusive | Mark O. Madsen gives his prediction for Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev: “He’s gonna hold that belt for a while”

Mark O. MadsenUndefeated UFC lightweight Mark O. Madsen has given his take on the upcoming 155lb title fight between Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev at UFC 280. Mark O. Madsen is currently set to take on Drakkar Klose at UFC Fight Night: Kattar vs. Allen. Following Klose’s victory over Brandon Jenkins at UFC on ESPN 34, he […]

Mark O. Madsen

Undefeated UFC lightweight Mark O. Madsen has given his take on the upcoming 155lb title fight between Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev at UFC 280.

Mark O. Madsen is currently set to take on Drakkar Klose at UFC Fight Night: Kattar vs. Allen. Following Klose’s victory over Brandon Jenkins at UFC on ESPN 34, he took to the mic, calling ‘The Olympian’ out. Now Klose has the fight he wanted, although Madsen clearly believes that his now upcoming opponent has bitten off far more than he can chew, having vowed to retire Klose.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with LowKickMMA, in partnership with VegasInsider, Mark O. Madsen had the following to say about his opponent.

“I definitely think Drakkar Klose should have called someone else out. The thing is with callouts – it’s a funny thing, because the mental aspect in it is one guy is calling another guy out, because he thinks he’s better than the other fighter. Me personally, I love callouts, because that triggers something inside me. That puts a little extra in there. I think Drakkar made a mistake and I’m gonna prove that on October 29th. I’m gonna go out there and I’m gonna knock his head out, and retire this guy. Quite simple.”

Mark O. Madsen gives his prediction for Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev

Should Madsen defeat Klose, he will likely be on the fringes of the top 15 of the lightweight division. 155lbs has been a marquee weight class for some time now, and at UFC 280, a new champion will be decided.

Former title holder Charles Oliveira will take on Islam Makhachev in one of the most anticipated bouts of the year. Madsen was confident in his assessment of who would come out on top in this eclectic title fight. He stated:

“I see Islam Makhachev as the new UFC champ. One hundred percent. I saw Michael Chandler say online that Islam – I think he said he hadn’t earned it, or that he hadn’t fought anybody good. I think that’s bulls**t number one. Islam Makhachev, I even had the chance to train with him, he’s the real deal. I see him as the new UFC champion. And I think he’s gonna hold that belt for a while, to be honest.”

UFC 278 – Top 3 Bets

UFC 278UFC 278 is finally upon us, and we at LowKickMMA are here to give you our top 3 bets for this PPV event. Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards clash in an electric main event whilst former champ Luke Rockhold squares off with Paulo Costa in the co-main. A future Hall of Famer in Jose Aldo […]

UFC 278

UFC 278 is finally upon us, and we at LowKickMMA are here to give you our top 3 bets for this PPV event.

Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards clash in an electric main event whilst former champ Luke Rockhold squares off with Paulo Costa in the co-main. A future Hall of Famer in Jose Aldo will share the cage with rising contender Merab Dvalishvili, and an undefeated heavyweight prospect named Alexandr Romanov faces a big litmus test as he takes on Marcin Tybura.

Join us at LowKickMMA as we break down three of our best bets for UFC 278!

Paulo Costa by KO/TKO

Our first pick will be for Brazilain powerhouse Paulo Costa to KO/TKO former UFC champ Luke Rockhold. The reasoning behind the bet is simple. Paulo Costa is a freak athlete with tons of power. Luke Rockhold is now 37 years old, and has been knocked out in three of his last four.

We’re taking Costa by KO/TKO, which is priced at 1.61 on Betway.

Jose Aldo ML

It’s very rare that a fighter with such skill and prestige as Jose Aldo is an underdog. However, the reasoning behind it in this case is understandable, as the King of Rio is taking on tenatious up-and-comer Merab Dvalishvili. The surging Georgian is one of the best wrestlers in the division, which, when paired with an inexhaustible gas tank, makes him a major threat to every fighter in the top 15.

But Jose Aldo has made a career off of defeating pressure-based wrestlers. The former 145lb champion has overcome the likes of Chad Mendes and Frankie Edgar, two of the best to do it, in their primes no less. If Aldo can keep the fight standing, there is no reason to think that he won’t just light Merab up on the feet.

This bet could be a bit dicey, but Aldo has all the tools necessary to win this fight. We will take his ML which Betway have priced at 2.10.

Parlay – Romanov ML, Woodson ML, Albazi ML

Our final bet is a parlay between three favorites on this card.

First is Alexandr Romanov, an undefeated 16-0 Moldovan UFC heavyweight who takes on Marcin Tybura. Romanov’s wrestling and top control is of an elite caliber, and he will likely dominate this fight from the get go. Look for an early ground and pound finish from ‘King Kong.’

Second is Sean Woodson. ‘The Sniper’ lives up to his nickname every time he steps in the octagon. His long arms allow him to utilise his excellent long-range boxing game, which will cause his opponent, Luis Saldaña, non stop trouble.

To round out our parlay, we are backing Amir Albazi to defeat Francisco Figueiredo. Albazi is one of top prospects in the division, and whilst his opponent may have a famous surname, he is not the fighter his brother is. Albazi should have the advantage in this fight wherever it goes.

A parlay consisting of these three UFC fighters can be found at 1.92 odds on Betway.

What do you think of our top 3 bets for UFC 278?

Exclusive | Harry Hunsucker believes ‘all the pressure is on Tyson Pedro’ for their UFC 278 bout: ‘There’s gonna be a lot of heads turned’

Harry HunsuckerHarry Hunsucker is set to take on Tyson Pedro this weekend in the opening bout of the UFC 278 PPV main card. Hunsucker, who is making the move down to light heavyweight for this bout, recently spoke with LowKickMMA’s Frank Bonada about the upcoming fight. ‘The Hurricane’ seemed to imply that he believes he is […]

Harry Hunsucker

Harry Hunsucker is set to take on Tyson Pedro this weekend in the opening bout of the UFC 278 PPV main card.

Hunsucker, who is making the move down to light heavyweight for this bout, recently spoke with LowKickMMA’s Frank Bonada about the upcoming fight. ‘The Hurricane’ seemed to imply that he believes he is being placed in this fight simply to make his opponent look good, but this has only incentivized him further:

“Let’s be 100 percent honest, all the pressure here is on Tyson Pedro,” stated Hunsucker. “He’s the show pony right now. I’m just the guy they’re bringing in to fight him. We know what it is… When I show up as the guy I’m going to show up as next weekend, there’s gonna be a lot of heads turned, I’ll just say that.”

Harry Hunsucker has never gone to the judge’s decision in his entire pro-MMA career, whilst his upcoming Tyson Pedro has only gone the distance once. However, Hunsucker believes the fight may well go longer than many expect:

“I honestly think you’ll see this fight go a lot later than anyone would expect to. He’s gonna get frustrated because he’s gonna have to do a lot of moving to keep up with me. So I think that it’s going to be – I think this will be a very surprising fight for everyone to watch.”

Harry Hunsucker on the move to 205lbs

Harry Hunsucker is finally making the move to light heavyweight, a change that has been on the horizon for some time. No longer will ‘The Hurricane’ be giving up height, reach and weight to his natural heavyweight opponents. He stated the following:

“Obviously taking that extra weight off my body is gonna put it in a better state to perform. I’m not gonna be giving up fifty, sixty, pounds to guys like I have pretty much every fight since I’ve been a heavyweight. I mean Tafa, my last fight, he’s the first UFC heavyweight in history to miss weight. He had fifty-plus pounds on me on fight day. Now the cut to 205 really has been easy for me… I’m evening the playing field, I’m not giving up weight and height anymore.”

Hunsucker vs. Pedro opens the UFC 278 main card, which also features exciting bouts such as Jose Aldo vs. Merab Dvalishvili, Paulo Costa vs. Luke Rockhold, and of course, the welterweight title fight between Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards.

How do you think Harry Hunsucker will fare against Tyson Pedro?

UFC San Diego – Top 3 Bets

UFCAs the UFC continues to expand its horizons in a post covid landscape, the promotion takes a trip to San Diego with an electric bantamweight main event. Former 135lb champion Dominick Cruz is set to take on surging contender Marlon Vera in the headlining bout, a fight that may well decide the next No.1 contender […]

UFC

As the UFC continues to expand its horizons in a post covid landscape, the promotion takes a trip to San Diego with an electric bantamweight main event. Former 135lb champion Dominick Cruz is set to take on surging contender Marlon Vera in the headlining bout, a fight that may well decide the next No.1 contender in the division.

The card is full of interesting matchups although there is not a tremendous amount of value on a single ML play. As a result, two of our three recommended bets this week will actually be parlay pieces.

Join us at LowKickMMA as we break down some of the fights from UFC San Deigo, and try to make some money in the process.

Youssef Zalal ML

One single ML play we will take is on Youssef Zalal to defeat Da’mon Blackshear. Zalal is making the move down to 135lbs for the first time in his UFC tenure. ‘The Moroccan Devil’ was initially set to take on Cristian Quiñonez, however, after the Mexican dropped out, Blackshear was brought in on short notice.

Blackshear is admittedly riding an impressive four-fight winning streak, with all four victories coming under the CFFC banner. However, whenever Blackshear has come across opposition on a similar level to Zalal, he is fallen short. Losses to Danny Sabatello, Pat Sabatini and Kris Moutinho all mar his record.

Zalal has a good build for the 135lb division, which paired with his speed and high work rate will likely be enough to outwork Blackshear over three rounds. We will take Youssef Zalal’s ML, which Betway have priced at 1.72.

Lupita Godinez ML & Calvillo vs. Nunes O1.5

For our second bet, we are parlaying two main card bouts.

First is Lupita Godinez to defeat Angela Hill. Godinez has looked sensational as of late, racking up three wins in her last four bouts. The Mexico-born strawweight is an elite chain wrestler who can cause her opponents endless trouble when the fight hits the mats. She takes on Angela Hill, in a fight that came together on relatively short notice. Hill is as game as they come, but has struggled against strong opponents with heavy wrestle-based games in the past.

The second leg of this parlay is for the flyweight bout between Cynthia Calvillo and Nina Nunes to go past the first round and a half. This one is a simple pick, just to boost the odds up in our favor. Nina Nunes has gone to the third round in seven of her last right, whilst Cynthia Calvillo has gone to the third in eight of her last nine (debatably seven as she retired at the end of the second round against Angela Lee with a broken hand).

By pairing these bets together, we have a solid 1.67 line on Betway.

Bruno Silva ML & Cruz vs. Vera O2.5

Our third bet for UFC San Diego is yet another parlay.

First is a straight play on Bruno Silva. ‘Blindado’ is a monster of a middleweight, with brutal knockout power and an iron chin. Currently 3-1 in the UFC with his only loss coming against the next title challenger Alex Pereira, Bruno Silva is a problem for any man. This weekend he takes on UFC veteran Gerald Meerschaert, a slick submission specialist with nine finishes inside the UFC. However, Meerschaert has repeatedly struggled with heavy-hitting opponents, suffering KO losses to Ian Heinisch, Thiago Santos and Khamzat Chimaev. There are few that hit harder than Silva, and as a result, a KO, or at least multiple round winning moments, seem inevitable.

Second, we take the main event to go over two and a half rounds. Dominick Cruz is an expert at fighting to the distance, whether it be over three or five rounds. Over the course of his time with the UFC and WEC, he has gone to the judges 13 out of 17 times. He is immensely durable but doesn’t contain one-punch knockout power in his hands. Marlon Vera is one of the few fighters in the division who boasts a similar level of durability. He also has a tendency of starting slow, only turning up the pressure in the later rounds. This fight may end inside the distance, but it seems more than likely that this would only happen in the championship rounds.

A two-piece parlay of Bruno Silva’s ML and Cruz vs. Vera to go over two and a half rounds is priced at 1.75 on Betway.

Do you agree with our three bets for UFC San Diego?