We’re frothing at the mouth for UFC 274 and the undercard is stacked with exciting fights.
Headlining the undercard is Michael Chandler vs. Tony Ferguson, which could be the most exciting fight on Saturday.
Also on the card is Mauricio Rua vs. Ovince Saint Preux and Donald Cerrone vs. Joe Lauzon.
Let’s check the latest news, stats, injury reports, and UFC odds for UFC 274. We’ve plenty of predictions for you to consider.
Chandler vs Ferguson
The return of Tony Ferguson is good for the sport and the 38-year-old is looking to end a three-fight losing streak.
The former champion has had his fair share of troubles, but despite losing to Charles Oliveira, Justin Gaethje and Beneil Dariush, he can’t be discounted at UFC 274.
UFC betting odds have Ferguson at +300 to beat former Bellator star Michael Chandler, which is a fair price.
Chandler is 22-7 following a decision loss to Gaethje, who fights Oliveira for the lightweight belt later on the card.
The Missouri native was also knocked out by Oliveira at UFC 262 following a knockout win over New Zealand’s Dan Hooker.
There has been a back and forth exchange of words throughout the week, but Chandler is showing his confidence.
“He’s gonna go out there and try and take my head off, and I’m gonna do the exact same thing, but when it comes to animosity, I got no animosity towards him,” Chandler told MMA Junkie.
“He’s all business. Is it true? Is it blunder? Is it just words? Is it lip service? We don’t know. All I know is he’s gonna run into a buzzsaw Saturday night, and my ‘Dana White privilege’ is not gonna make a difference no matter what.”
We’re not sold on Chandler being near the top of the lightweight rankings, and if Ferguson is anywhere near his best, he could turn back time and produce the upset.
Ferguson has proven himself time and time again, so he could rise to the occasion and cash for bettors willing to take the risk.
Pick: Tony Ferguson +300
Rua vs Saint Preux
Expect fireworks as blazing heavyweights meet in the Octagon when Mauricio Rua faces Ovince Saint Preux.
The UFC odds have Saint Preux as the -240 favorite, which is shorter than what we expected. The Floridian was knocked out by Tanner Boser in June before his fight against Philipe Lins was canceled.
He hasn’t looked good since knocking out Alonzo Menifield in 2020 and even that performance wasn’t against the toughest opposition.
Rua is a seasoned pro at 27-12-1 and the 40-year-old is looking to bounce back after being knocked out by Paul Craig. However, he looked good when beating Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in 2020.
A UFC veteran since 2012, Rua might be past his best but he’s good enough to beat Saint Preux over three rounds.
UFC 274 could be a night of upsets and we’re not leaving Rua out of our selections. UFC betting markets have Rua at +190 and we’re happy to snap up the value for the tough heavyweight.
Pick: Mauricio Rua +190
Cerrone vs Lauzon
Donald Cerrone has been a punching bag for many lightweights over the last few years, but he’s heavily favored to beat Joe Lauzon.
Cowboy was knocked out by Alex Morono in the opening round in May and he hasn’t won since beating Al Iaquinta in 2019, which isn’t a victory many would gloat about.
His last knockout victory came in 2018 against Yancy Medeiros, so despite Cerrone being one of the greats in his division, his recent form isn’t inspiring.
Lauzon comes off a knockout win over Jonathan Pearce and that should give him confidence, but it was in 2019. He hasn’t fought for almost three years and losing to Cerrone could spell the end of his career according to UFC President Dana White.
“That one should be… the loser probably packs it up and rides off into the sunset. That I would agree with,” White said.
It’s a desperate situation for Cerrone and Lauzon, but we’re happy to back another underdog at the better price. Take +155 for Lauzon to continue the poor run of form for Cerrone.
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