Fares Ziam (-155) vs. Axel Sola (+135) <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\nThis is a classic clash of styles. Fares Ziam will likely look to initiate the clinch, slow the fight\u00a0down and mix in his wrestling, while Axel Sola should prefer to keep the fight standing and turn\u00a0 it into a striking match.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
I like Sola as the underdog. He has shown solid takedown defense, can strike with good volume\u00a0and should be capable of producing the bigger moments that swing close rounds. Ziam has a\u00a0tendency to get involved in slow, uneventful fights, and that could hurt him on the scorecards\u00a0 against the more active fighter.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
At +135, Sola is the pick. I think his activity and striking volume can be enough to win a decision. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\nMichael Page (-168) vs. Nursulton Ruziboev (+140) <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\nThis should look like a classic Michael Page fight. Page will stand at range, make himself difficult to hit and use his jab and kicks to score points without taking unnecessary risks.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Nursulton Ruziboev has the better ground game, but actually getting his hands on Page is the\u00a0problem. Page's movement and ability to control distance make it incredibly difficult for\u00a0 opponents to consistently close the gap.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Page fights can be boring, but they're also predictable because of his unique style. I expect Page\u00a0to point-fight from distance and win a decision.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\nLosene Keita (-341) vs. Muhammad Naimov (+279)<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\nLosene Keita is primarily a striker and lost a close split decision in his UFC debut. He should be\u00a0the faster and more fluid fighter on the feet in this matchup.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Muhammad Naimov can make fights ugly. He can clinch, work inside and turn a clean striking match into more of a grind. The problem is that he was pieced up and finished by a good striker in his last fight, and Keita presents many of those same problems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
The -341 price is steep, but Keita is still the right side. His speed and striking should be too\u00a0much for Naimov.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\nMorgan Charriere (+170) vs. Felipe Lima (-191) <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\nFelipe Lima doesn't fight particularly often, but when he does, he's good. He's a well-rounded\u00a0fighter who can land punches and kicks, mix in takedowns and do quality work on the ground.\u00a0 He's not elite in any single area, which may ultimately prevent him from becoming a title\u00a0 contender, but he doesn't have many glaring weaknesses either.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Morgan Charriere continues to be a mystery to me. He has the athleticism and physical tools to\u00a0 be great, but he loses fights that it seems like he should win, and his UFC victories have come\u00a0against bad competition. I've also had terrible results trying to handicap Charriere fights, so I'm\u00a0 staying away from betting this one.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Lima is the pick in a close decision, with a couple of takedowns potentially being the\u00a0difference.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\nPunahele Soriano (+189) vs. Daniil Donchenko (-219) <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\nDaniil Donchenko continues to leave me underwhelmed. He's won all three of his UFC fights, but the competition hasn't been particularly impressive. He has powerful striking, but his offense\u00a0 can be slow, his cardio is questionable, and if he isn't landing the big knockout shot, I'm not sure\u00a0 what his fallback option is.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Punahele Soriano has put together several wins in a row and gives Donchenko some different\u00a0problems. Soriano can land on the feet, but he can also clinch and hold Donchenko against the\u00a0 fence. If this reaches the third round, I expect Soriano to be the fresher fighter.\u00a0Soriano is the underdog pick at +189.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\nKurtis Campbell (-341) vs. Trevor Peek (+279) <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\nKurtis Campbell loves to start fast. He'll look for takedowns and throw big shots early, but as we\u00a0predicted in his UFC debut, that aggressive style can drain his gas tank quickly and leave him\u00a0 vulnerable to being finished.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Trevor Peek isn't a good wrestler, so the early portion of this matchup could be ugly for him. His best attribute is his toughness, and if he can survive Campbell's early offense, the fight could\u00a0 completely change as Campbell tires. We also haven't seen Peek in two years, which adds\u00a0another level of unpredictability.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Campbell should be able to get Peek down early, but he may need to finish him while he's fresh. I'll take Peek at +279 to survive the early trouble and take over as Campbell fades, but I'm\u00a0 nervous about this one.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\nLuis Felipe Dias (+105) vs. Matthieu Duclos (-120) <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\nLuis Felipe Dias is a monster physically. He's big and powerful, although he's also stiff and\u00a0doesn't have great speed.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Matthieu Duclos has a good jab, but I'm not sold on the quality of competition he's faced. When he stepped onto Contender Series, he was knocked out by Tulio, and that performance makes me\u00a0 question his ceiling.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
I expect this to primarily be a striking match without much wrestling. In that type of fight, I'll take Dias at +105 to have the more damaging shots and get the win.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\nNora Cornolle (-125) vs. Klaudia Sygula (+109) <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\nI don't see it with Nora Cornolle. Her wins haven't been particularly convincing, her cardio can\u00a0become an issue, she has trouble stopping wrestling and I don't think her striking is especially\u00a0 good.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Klaudia Sygula is the significantly better striker and has the ability to do real damage on the feet.\u00a0Her biggest responsibility is simply keeping the fight standing.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
If Sygula can consistently defend the takedowns, I think the striking difference becomes obvious.\u00a0Sygula at +109 is the pick to outstrike Cornolle and get the win.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\nMario Pinto (-270) vs. Ryan Spann (+257) <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\nI love Mario Pinto in this matchup. He has powerful striking, and in his last fight he showed that\u00a0he can wrestle as well, giving him a much more complete game than just being a dangerous\u00a0 puncher.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Ryan Spann has won two straight, but those victories came against opponents who simply\u00a0couldn't strike with him. Pinto won't have that problem. He should be able to land early and\u00a0 often, and Spann has a long history of questionable cardio.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Outside of Spann landing a random bomb early, I don't see many paths to victory for him. Pinto is one of my easiest picks on the card. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\nOumar Sy (-185) vs. Modestas Bukauskas (+158)<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\nOumar Sy has been disappointing in the UFC, losing two of his last three, but this looks like a\u00a0favorable matchup for him. Modestas Bukauskas has slowed down considerably. He's struggling\u00a0to land punches, doesn't have much speed anymore and isn't the physical fighter he once was.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Sy should have a significant physical advantage and shouldn't have much trouble getting into the clinch and using his wrestling. Both fighters have questionable cardio, but Sy should have the\u00a0advantage while they're fresh.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
I also don't see Bukauskas carrying enough of a striking threat to make Sy hesitant about closing distance. Sy should be able to clinch, wrestle and control his way to the win. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\nFabia Sintes (+128) vs. Michael Aljarouj (-155) <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\nThis matchup has a very clear dynamic. Fabia Sintes wants to get the fight to the ground, while\u00a0 Michael Aljarouj wants absolutely nothing to do with that. Aljarouj is a dangerous striker with\u00a0legitimate knockout power, while Sintes' best chance of finishing comes through her ground\u00a0 game.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Because both fighters are considerably more dangerous in their preferred areas, I like this fight\u00a0not to go the distance.<\/strong> Aljarouj can get the knockout if it stays standing, while Sintes can\u00a0potentially finish if she gets him down.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\nAs far as picking a winner, this is close enough that I want the plus money. Sintes at +128 is the\u00a0 side.<\/strong> If she can secure an early takedown and force Aljarouj to work, she can wear him down and become even more effective in the later rounds.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\nDelphine Benouaich (-161) vs. Sofia Montenegro (+135) <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\nSofia Montenegro lost on Contender Series in a brutal striking battle, but there were positives to take from the performance. She did plenty of damage herself, absorbed a ton of punishment and\u00a0continued fighting hard, showing both cardio and heart.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Delphine Benouaich doesn't look as dynamic on the feet, but she has another dimension that\u00a0 Montenegro has to deal with. Benouaich can wrestle and has a ground game, and I think that's\u00a0ultimately the difference in a competitive matchup.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Montenegro can absolutely have success when they're exchanging strikes, but Benouaich is the\u00a0pick to use her takedowns and grappling to win the fight.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\nUFC Fight Night Main Event: Dan Hooker (+372) vs Saladhine Parnasse (-526)<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\nDan Hooker looks like he's starting to slow down. He's lost two straight against elite competition,\u00a0 but the bigger concern is that he wasn't particularly competitive in either fight. Hooker has always been willing to absorb punishment, but lately he hasn't been giving much back, and his\u00a0 ground game remains a major weakness.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Saladhine Parnasse has a ton of experience despite being only 28 years old. He's a good striker,\u00a0 has a legitimate ground game and should be the more athletic fighter. The longer this fight goes,\u00a0the more the advantages should favor Parnasse, especially with Hooker fading once he gets outside the first round.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Hooker is still tough enough to survive the opening five minutes, but Parnasse should take over and find the finish in the second or third round.<\/strong><\/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\/40029","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=40029"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40029\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40031,"href":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40029\/revisions\/40031"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40030"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40029"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40029"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40029"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}