Tag: UFC predictions

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?

UFC 277 – Top 3 Main Card Bets

UFC 277This weekend, MMA fans are treated to yet another July PPV event, as UFC 277 showcases two elite rematches long in the making. Amanda Nunes has the chance to reclaim her bantamweight belt from Julianna Pena in the headlining bout, whilst the co-main event has Brandon Moreno seeking to pick up a second victory over […]

UFC 277

This weekend, MMA fans are treated to yet another July PPV event, as UFC 277 showcases two elite rematches long in the making. Amanda Nunes has the chance to reclaim her bantamweight belt from Julianna Pena in the headlining bout, whilst the co-main event has Brandon Moreno seeking to pick up a second victory over Kai Kara-France as they compete for the interim flyweight title.

Elite prospects and experienced veterans fill out the rest of the main card, with the likes of Derrick Lewis, Magomed Ankalaev, Alexandre Pantoja, and Anthony Smith all featuring.

Join us at LowKickMMA as we break down, and hopefully make some money from, the main card of UFC 277.

Kai Kara-France

In the co-main event of UFC 277, Kai Kara-France finally has his chance to claim yet another title for the famed City Kickboxing Gym. The elite New Zealand camp has already produced two champions, with middleweight king Israel Adesanya and potential featherweight GOAT Alexander Volkanovski. Kara-France could complete the trifecta when he takes on Brandon Moreno this weekend.

Moreno is a top-level competitor and has even picked up a win over Kara-France, although the fight was admittedly razor close. Since then, ‘The Assasin Baby’ has faced off against Deiveson Figueiredo three times, winning once, losing once, and going to a draw. Moreno did look impressive in these bouts, but he arguably lost two of them, with the draw only coming about as a result of Figueiredo being deducted a point.

Kai Kara-France has also remained active during this time, picking up three consecutive wins. ‘Don’t Blink’ lived up to his nickname in fights with Rogerio Bontorin and Cody Garbrandt, knocking out both men in emphatic fashion. He also proved that his defensive wrestling is more than up to par as he defeated elite Dagestani grappler Askar Askarov via decision.

We are backing Kara-France to win at UFC 277, as the Kiwi has improved remarkably since the first fight. Moreno’s durability may see him survive the full five rounds, but Kara-France’s power and tenacity will likely see him have the bigger round-winning moments. Kara-France is the underdog, with Betway placing his ML at 2.80.

Alexandre Pantoja

Another elite flyweight bout takes place on the main card of UFC 277, as 125lb veteran Alexandre Pantoja takes on DWCS prospect Alex Perez. This time we will be backing the favorite to win. Pantoja has been in the UFC octagon with some of the all-time flyweight greats and has rarely looked out of place. Defying the regular stereotype of flyweights, Pantoja is always live for a finish, with clinical striking and a lethal submission game.

Comparatively, Alex Perez does not hold a win over a single flyweight in the current top 15. He has also been out for over a year now, with his last fight being a first-round submission loss to current champion Deiveson Figueiredo. The are a multitude of reasons for this time away from the sport, with opponent pull-outs, bad weight cuts and illness all coming into play.

Considering all these factors, it is very hard to go against Pantoja. We will take him at his money line which Betway has at 1.53. If you want better odds, Pantoja to win inside the difference is priced at 2.87, a solid line considering Perez has only gone to the distance once in his past six bouts.

Magomed Ankalaev Dec

Our final pick for the UFC 277 main card will be a prop bet. Magomed Ankalev is a massive favorite to defeat former title challenger Anthony ‘Lionheart’ Smith. This does seem slightly overpriced, considering the resume and winning streak Smith has. However, barring the last-second submission loss to Paul Craig, Magomed Ankalaev has looked near unstoppable during his entire MMA tenure.

The Dagestani light heavyweight holds a record of 17-1, having picked up wins over numerous high-level opponents, such as Thiago Santos, Volkan Oezdemir, and Nikita Krylov. Whilst Ankalaev did start his run with the UFC as a finisher, with the front kick KO over Dalcha Lungiambula a particular highlight, his last few fights have all gone to decision.

Smith often lives up to the ‘Lionheart’ moniker he has been given, with his losses often going the distance, or at very least to the later rounds of five-round fights. Even Jon Jones, the greatest fighter to ever compete in the division, was unable to get Smith out of there.

As a result, we are taking Magomed Ankalev to win via decision at UFC 277. Betway has this prop currently priced at 2.00.

What bets are you taking for UFC 277?

Volkan Oezdemir Believes Training With Khamzat Chimaev Will Be His Key To Victory Against Paul Craig

volkan oezdemirTo counter Paul Craig’s grappling, Volkan Oezdemir spent his camp training with the wrestling phenom, Khamzat Chimaev. In a recent interview with MMA Junkie’s Farah Hannoun, Volkan Oezdemir (17-6) revealed that he has moved his training camp to the famed All Star Gym in Sweden, which is known for harboring stars such as Alexander Gustafsson […]

volkan oezdemir

To counter Paul Craig’s grappling, Volkan Oezdemir spent his camp training with the wrestling phenom, Khamzat Chimaev.

In a recent interview with MMA Junkie’s Farah Hannoun, Volkan Oezdemir (17-6) revealed that he has moved his training camp to the famed All Star Gym in Sweden, which is known for harboring stars such as Alexander Gustafsson and, more recently, Khamzat Chimaev. Speaking on the matter, Oezdemir stated that:

“It’s now my full time location. I’m really happy to be there… My previous fight in Abu Dhabi, I was in the same locker room as Khamzat and we spent a little bit of the fight week together. The manager and the coach were talking, and they invited me over there. So because of what happened in my fight, I decided it was time for a change. With this happening at the same time, it was the perfect opportunity for me to grab it.”

After His Recent Loss, Volkan Oezdemir Decided “It Was Time For A Change”

A part of this change was spending more time working on his takedown defense, as Paul Craig is known for his grappling ability, specifically his dangerous submission game. And perhaps there is no one better in MMA at the moment to train grappling with than Khamzat Chimaev, who burst onto the MMA scene 2 years ago largely thanks to his incredibly dominant wrestling game.

Meanwhile, Paul Craig (16-4), will look to extend his winning to six as he takes on Volkan Oezdemir this weekend at UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Aspinall. Craig has displayed an amazing ground game recently, which Oezdemir will hope to nullify after all those grueling wrestling sessions with Chimaev.

Oezdemir will look to get back into the win column on Saturday night as he is currently on a two-fight losing steak, having only fought once in the previous two years. Oezdemir himself had quite the explosive entrance into the UFC like his new teammate Chimaev, where he won multiple fights via a KO in less than a minute, earning him the nickname ‘No Time’. 

Since then, Oezdemir has had an up-and-down career, despite earning a UFC title shot, and it seems like, with the recent camp change, he’ll be hoping to reignite the earlier spark and get another trademark KO finish, which had made him so popular with the fanbase.

UFC London – Top 3 Bets

UFC LondonFor the second time in 2022, MMA fans are graced with another UFC London event. Tom Aspinall headlines for the second consecutive time, as he faces off against elite heavyweight wrestler Curtis Blaydes. Also featured on this card are the likes of Paddy Pimblett, Paul Craig, Molly McCann, and Mohammad Mokaev. Join us below as […]

UFC London

For the second time in 2022, MMA fans are graced with another UFC London event. Tom Aspinall headlines for the second consecutive time, as he faces off against elite heavyweight wrestler Curtis Blaydes.

Also featured on this card are the likes of Paddy Pimblett, Paul Craig, Molly McCann, and Mohammad Mokaev. Join us below as we break down our top 3 bets for UFC London:

Tom Aspinall ML

Once again Tom Aspinall is set to face off against an opponent equipped with a superior skill set to anyone the elite heavyweight prospect has faced before – and once again, we’re going to back him to pull out the win.

Aspinall will square off against Curtis Blaydes, a man many consider to be the best wrestler in the division. However, Aspinall is no novice when it comes to the grappling realms of MMA. He has demonstrated both wrestling and BJJ in his previous UFC fights, especially noticeable against Arlovski and Volkov.

Then there is also the case of Aspinall’s striking. Curtis Blaydes did appear to somewhat fall in love with his hands in his recent bout with Chris Daukaus. However, if he tries to play that game with Tom Aspinall, one has to think that Blaydes will be in for a short night in the office.

Aspinall did initially open as a betting underdog, but has since become the slight favorite, priced at 1.70 by Betway, There is still plenty of value on this line, but if you are looking for even better odds, Aspinall inside the distance is also a solid play.

Paul Craig ITD

This is a simple enough pick. Paul Craig does not go to decisions. The ‘Bearjew’ is a submission specialist, who has submitted some of the very best in the division, including the likes of Jamahall Hill, Nikita Krylov, and Magomed Ankalaev.

Admittedly, his chin is somewhat suspect, but if he is dropped, then his opponents often find themselves diving straight into yet another triangle submission. Craig faces off against Volkan Oezdemir, a hard-hitting veteran who goes into this fight as the betting favorite. Craig will likely be in danger for as long as the fight remains on the feet, but should it hit the mat, watch for the plucky Scot to pick up yet another victory from the jaws of defeat.

Paul Craig to win inside the distance at UFC London is priced at 2.75 by Betway. You could also take his submission prop at 3.00.

Parlay: Mokaev, Jones, Wood

Due to how inflated some of the lines for UFC London have become, our last bet will be a 3 piece parlay.

First is Mohammad Mokaev, one of the biggest prospects in the UFC, who faces off against a promotional newcomer in Charles Johnson. Mokaev is an incredibly skilled fighter with natural athletic ability. His opponent is a solid fighter, but Mokaev will prove that he is simply levels above.

Next is Nathaniel Wood, making his featherweight debut against Charles Rosa. Despite the fact that Wood is moving up in weight, he will be a similar size to Rosa. He also has a more potent round-winning skill set. Watch for ‘The Prospect’ to pick up a late stoppage or decision win in front of his home crowd.

Last, we are backing the only Welshman on the card. Mason ‘The Dragon’ Jones is back, and will face off against ?udovít Klein in the featured prelims. Jones is the considerably bigger fighter, with legit KO power, and a solid judo game to switch things up. Klein is a decent striker, but the versatility of Jones will no doubt be too much for Slovakian.

This parlay is priced at 1.82 on Betway.

What bets are you taking at UFC London?

UFC 276 – Top 3 Main Card Bets

UFC 276This weekend MMA fans will be treated to one of the most stacked PPV cards in recent memory, with UFC 276 playing host to a plethora of incredible matchups. Whilst middleweight champion Israel Adesanya defending his title against lethal knockout artist Jared Cannonier takes the headline spot, Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway’s trilogy bout, situated […]

UFC 276

This weekend MMA fans will be treated to one of the most stacked PPV cards in recent memory, with UFC 276 playing host to a plethora of incredible matchups.

Whilst middleweight champion Israel Adesanya defending his title against lethal knockout artist Jared Cannonier takes the headline spot, Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway’s trilogy bout, situated in the co-main event slot, promises to be the kind of fight that fans of combat sports will be discussing for years to come.

Pair these two title bouts with a No.1 contender fight between Sean Strickland and Alex Periera, as well as a classic veteran vs. prospect clash between Pedro Munhoz and Sean O’Malley, and you truly have one of the most stacked PPV main cards of the year. If you want an even deeper insight into all the best betting tips, check out Kabaddi betting tips.

Join us at LowKick MMA as we take a look at our top three betting angles for the main card of his historic event.

Israel Adesanya vs. Jared Cannonier

The main event of UFC 276 may well be the most one-sided fight on the card. With all due respect to Jared Cannonier, it is very hard to see any other result than an Israel Adesanya victory playing out.

However, this raises the question of how will ‘The Last Stylebender’ be victorious. He has been vocal in his desire to pick up a finish in this fight, similar to how he knocked out Paulo Costa. Despite him saying this, Adesanya has gone to the distance in four of his past five fights.

If your bookie has it, I would advise taking an alt-round betting prop, for Adesanya to win in rounds 4, 5, or decision. If this is not available, then use Adesanya as a parlay piece. Pairing him with Sean O’Malley or Andre Muniz is the way we will go.

Pick(s): Israel Adesanya to win in Rnd 4, 5, or by decision. Israel Adesanya ML & Andre Muniz ML Parlay.

Alexander Volkanovski vs. Max Holloway 3

A trilogy bout between two of the greatest fighters ever to compete in the UFC takes place in the co-main event slot of UFC 276. Volkanovski did win the first two bouts, although the second was contentious, to say the least.

Since the second fight, both men have competed twice against elite opposition. Volkanovski has defended his title twice, against Brian Ortega and possibly past his prime Chan Sung Jung, aka ‘The Korean Zombie.” Holloway defeated both Calvin Kattar and Yair Rodriguez, putting on two performance of the year contender bouts in the process.

Volkanovski is the favorite in this bout, likely due to the combining factors of his wins over Holloway, and the dominant fashion in which he defeated Jung.

However, we will take Holloway. He is clearly the value play here, as he possesses a similar skill level to that of Volkanovksi and certainly has the potential to win this fight. Not to mention he did drop Volkanovksi twice in the second fight, indicating that he has a higher finishing potential.

Pick: Max Holloway ML.

Sean Strickland vs. Alex Pereira

Alex Pereira steps into this No.1 contender bout with only two UFC wins on his record. He is also the favorite in this fight.

Watchers of the LowKick MMA Preview Show will already know which angle we are taking in this one. Sean Strickland is a well-rounded mixed martial artist, equipped with very solid striking, as well as a much-underrated wrestling game.

Pereira may knockout him out, it’s certainly a possibility. However, Strickland simply has far more ways to win this bout. We have to take the plus money on an experienced top competitor like Strickland over a newcomer to the sport, regardless of his pre-established narratives with the champion.

Pick: Sean Strickland ML.

What are your best bets for the main card of UFC 276?