Christian Leroy Duncan (-257) vs Jared Cannonier\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\nCannonier is now 42 years old, and it looks like Father Time is finally catching up with him. He's\u00a0lost three of his last four fights, and the lone victory came after he was losing badly before his\u00a0 opponent completely gassed, allowing Cannonier to score a late knockout.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Outside of that comeback, Cannonier has struggled to match the pace of younger fighters. His power isn't what it once was, his output has declined, and he's become increasingly reliant on\u00a0 clinching opponents against the fence.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Duncan should have answers everywhere. He's the younger, faster, more explosive athlete, and\u00a0 he's comfortable fighting in the clinch if that's where Cannonier wants to go. On the feet,\u00a0Duncan's speed and athleticism should create problems all night. With Cannonier another year\u00a0older, it's difficult to see where the improvement comes from.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Mitch Ramirez (+285) vs Chase Hooper\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\nThis price feels off considering the questions surrounding Hooper. He's been finished in the first\u00a0round in each of his last two fights, making his durability a major concern heading into this\u00a0 matchup.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Hooper's path to victory is obvious\u2014get the fight to the ground and hunt for a submission\u2014but his wrestling hasn't been nearly as reliable as many assume. Ramirez isn't a great fighter, but he carries legitimate power early and is dangerous in the opening minutes before his cardio fades. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
If Hooper survives the first round, he'll likely take over with his conditioning and submission\u00a0game. The problem is surviving that first round. At these odds, the value is on Ramirez landing\u00a0something big before Hooper settles into the fight.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Fatima Kline (-300) vs Tabatha Ricci\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\nKline has impressed ever since her UFC debut. Her only loss came against a high-level\u00a0opponent, and even in defeat she showed she belonged. Since then, she's rattled off three\u00a0 dominant wins while displaying a complete skill set.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
She can strike effectively with both her hands and kicks, but she's equally dangerous with her\u00a0wrestling and grappling. Ricci wins rounds with activity and volume, but she's shown there's a\u00a0 ceiling against physically stronger opponents.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Ricci was dominated by Virna Jandiroba through clinch work and takedowns, and this feels like a similar stylistic matchup. Kline's strength, cardio, and well-rounded game should allow her to\u00a0 dictate where the fight takes place.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Alberto Montes (-108) vs Tommy McMillen\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\nNeither fighter stands out as a future contender, but Montes is the more complete mixed martial\u00a0artist.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
McMillen fights with reckless aggression, throwing wild combinations while leaving himself\u00a0exposed defensively. That approach has worked against lower-level competition, but he hasn't\u00a0 faced many opponents capable of capitalizing on those openings.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Montes is far more composed. He has cleaner striking, a solid submission game, and if he survives the early storm, the fight should begin swinging heavily in his favor as McMillen slows\u00a0down.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Dione Barbosa (-350) vs Anna Melisano\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\nMelisano steps in on short notice after Veronica Hardy withdrew, making this an even tougher assignment.\u00a0Barbosa should have a major physical advantage and is expected to lean on her wrestling\u00a0 throughout the fight. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
While she hasn't always done enough damage once she secures top position,\u00a0her takedowns and control time have consistently carried rounds.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
She made mistakes in her last outing against Gatto, including giving up position and benefiting\u00a0from a controversial illegal strike, but she still managed to get her hand raised. Against Melisano,\u00a0Barbosa should be the stronger, better wrestler from start to finish.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Austin Bashi (-100) vs Jose Delgado\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\nBashi has been away for a while, but he's still a young prospect with plenty of room to improve. His wrestling is already a legitimate weapon, although his striking defense remains a concern.\u00a0Delgado has the cleaner stand-up game, but he's looked tentative in his last two appearances and\u00a0 hasn't consistently let his hands go.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Bashi fights with much more urgency and should be able to mix in enough takedowns to edge a\u00a0competitive decision.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Seok Hyun Ko (-200) vs Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\nKo has looked dominant through his first two UFC appearances by repeatedly taking opponents down and controlling them on the mat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Interestingly, both fighters own victories over Phil Rowe, but Ko's performance was far more convincing. Lebosnoyani faded late in his fight, while Ko maintained his wrestling pressure throughout. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Lebosnoyani is the better striker, but Ko has little reason to engage in a kickboxing match.\u00a0Expect him to wrestle early, rack up control time, and grind out another victory.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
RJ Harris (-112) vs Alvin Hines\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\nThe pick here is Harris despite the odds listing him as the underdog.\u00a0Hines received plenty of attention after taking a short-notice UFC fight while working as a full time engineer, but the shine has worn off. His loss to Diniz hasn't aged particularly well, and he\u00a0 later tested positive for multiple banned substances.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Harris is simply the more polished fighter. He has the size, striking, and clinch game to dictate the action and enters this matchup with momentum after an impressive standing guillotine finish.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Levi Rodrigues (-178) vs Felipe Franco\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\nNeither fighter has been especially impressive, but Rodrigues is the more trustworthy side.\u00a0Franco fights at a slow pace, has questionable cardio, and his record is inflated by wins over\u00a0 weak competition. He was dominated by wrestling in his UFC debut and hasn't shown much\u00a0 upside against quality opposition.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Rodrigues is the better striker, throws more volume, and already owns a knockout win over the\u00a0same opponent Franco lost to on the Contender Series. Despite his own suspension history, he's\u00a0 the more complete fighter and deserves to be favored.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Alden Coria (-733) vs Stewart Nicoll\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\nNicoll simply hasn't been able to make the jump to UFC-level competition. He's 0-3 inside the\u00a0Octagon with losses by submission, knockout, and decision, showing he hasn't found a path to\u00a0success against this caliber of opponent.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Coria has won his first two UFC fights and appears to be improving each time out. He owns a significant reach advantage, uses his jab effectively, and is capable of controlling opponents both in the clinch and on the mat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Coria holds the edge in virtually every area of the fight and should remain unbeaten in the UFC,\u00a0with a knockout a real possibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
UFC Fight Night Main Event: <\/strong>Dricus Du Plessis -250 vs Kamaru Usman<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\nUsman pulled off a huge upset in his last fight by leaning heavily on his wrestling, but that\u00a0 matchup was tailor-made for him. Joaquin Buckley has a glaring weakness when it comes to takedown defense, and Usman simply exploited it with basic wrestling. Before that win, Usman\u00a0had lost three straight fights, and there are still legitimate concerns about whether his knees can\u00a0 hold up against elite competition.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Both fighters have losses to Khamzat Chimaev, but those performances don't carry much weight\u00a0 here because Chimaev's wrestling is on another level. What stood out in Du Plessis' last fight was\u00a0his improved cardio, as he battled through five hard rounds and answered one of the biggest\u00a0 questions surrounding his game.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
If this fight stays standing, Du Plessis has a clear advantage. Usman's striking looked almost\u00a0 nonexistent against Buckley, and if he can't consistently land takedowns, he'll struggle to keep\u00a0pace with Du Plessis' pressure and volume. Expect Du Plessis to stuff enough wrestling attempts,\u00a0keep the fight on the feet, and earn another impressive victory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
**************************************************<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\nLooking for more free sports picks and sports betting tips?<\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n\n\nMake sure to bookmark all the above!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39544","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39544"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39544\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39545,"href":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39544\/revisions\/39545"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30691"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39544"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39544"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39544"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}