Violence!!!! This card is going to be the purest form of violence we have seen in a while. A lot of hungry young fighters looking to make their name known. We have the Mickey Mouse TUF finale between Bryan Battle and Gilbert Urbina to decide who comes in second behind Tresean Gore. Then the actually good finale between Ricky turcios and Brady Hiestand will likely produce at least one Bantamweight mainstay. Daniel Rodriguez gets to punch the fuck out of Kevin Lee which is just always a joy. Top to bottom this is a very fun card with a few very tasty lines that we can capitalize on. Let’s get into these picks already.
Main Card
Edson Barboza vs. Giga Chikadze Featherweight Bout
This is a fight that makes God smile. 2 of the best pure strikers in the division clash with a near even line?!?! Giga has gotten better every fight he’s had so far in the UFC and has length to be a problem for anyone at 145. Edson Barboza is becoming a force in this division since his BS split decision loss to Dan Ige. I have been back and forth all week trying to decide who to go with here. After a ton of deliberation, Edson Barboza comes out on top. He has fought tougher opponents and has much more power, plus he never had a close split decision with Irwin Rivera.
Edson Barboza by Decision -117 1 unit
Bryan Battle vs. Gilbert Urbina Middleweight Bout
These TUF finale fights are super hard to get a feel for. I am going with Gilbert as the dog. He got killed by Gore and only beat the fill in but he has length, comes from a fighting family and is the better grappler. Not crazy confident in this but there isn’t too much to go off of.
Gilbert Urbina by Decision +165 1 unit
Ricky Turcios vs. Brady Hiestand Bantamweight Bout
Similar issue with this fight. Ricky Turcios is much more polished and has faced top level competition, but Brady has the build of a real contender. Brady has the wrestling to make this fight really frustrating for Turcios.
Brady Hiestand by Decision +130 1 unit
Kevin Lee vs. Daniel Rodriguez Welterweight Bout
I see a lot of holes in Kevin Lee’s game. All jokes aside I am top 5 biggest DRod fans in the world. If Rodriguez is able to stuff the takedowns he will absolutely massacre Kevin Lee. I am almost worried for Kevin’s well being after the destruction he is about to face.
Daniel Rodriguez by 2nd Round TKO +125 1 unit
Andre Petroski vs. Micheal Gillmore Middleweight Bout
This fight fucking sucks, I’m sure Dana owed Gillmore forr stepping in this season and is giving him a fight but Andre was one of the best fighters in the house. Andre has elite wrestling and his horrible cardio won’t matter when he finishes this one fast.
Andre Petroski by 1st Round Submission +100 (Prop Submission Line) 1 unit
Makhmud Muradov vs. Gerald Meerschaert Middleweight Bout
One of those fights where I am going boring. Muradov looks like an absolute stud, hard to think that Meerschaert has anything that will be able to combat Muradov’s pressure. Need this to be a mauling because there is barely any value anywhere in this fight. Wouldn’t blame anyone for putting a little on Meerschaert and hoping he gets his grappling to work.
Makhmud Muradov by 1st Round TKO -175 (Prop TKO Line) 3 units
Prelims
Alessio Di Chirico vs. Abdul Razak Alhassan Middleweight Bout
Abdul Razak Alhassan by 1st Round TKO +215 1 unit
Sam Alvey vs. Wellington Turman Middleweight Bout
Wellington Turman by Decision -121 2 units
Dustin Jacoby vs. Darren Stewart Light Heavyweight Bout
Dustin Jacoby by Decision +165 (Prop Line) 1 unit
JJ Aldrich vs. Vanessa Demopoulos Flyweight Bout
JJ Aldrich by Decision -175 (Prop Line) 3 units
Jamall Emmers vs. Pat Sabatini Featherweight Bout
Pat Sabatini by Decision +120 1 unit
Mana Martinez vs. Guido Cannetti Bantamweight Bout
Mana Martinez by 1st Round TKO -135 (Prop TKO Line) 2 units
DraftKings Lineup:
That is all I have for you this lovely evening. A little bit of a light blog but I am hungover as fuck and am surprised my brain worked enough to get this out before the fights start. Bet responsibly and stick to your units, by the end of last card I had a 7 unit play on Mark Madsen. Let’s bankrupt our books and as always, may luck be your lady tonight!