Giving Props to Fast Finishes
Mixed martial arts can be a savage and unforgiving sport. This is most evident in the UFC, where brutal finishes are a dime a dozen regardless of who is fighting. The Fight Night card on Saturday happens to feature several fights with a high chance of a finish. What’s more, half the fighters are heavily favored to beat their opponents mercilessly on the UFC odds.
Rodriguez Destroys Jackson Quickly
This event wastes no time as the UFC has offered Mike Jackson (1-1-0, 1 NC) as a sacrificial lamb to the burly Pete Rodriguez (4-1-0). Just look at the line: Rodriguez is the biggest favorite at -800 and he’s coming off a KO loss. But as the line suggests, he should starch Jackson in one round. Rodriguez is nothing special but he hits harder and trains more than Jackson.
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- Pick: Rodriguez By KO/TKO/DQ and Round 1 (-140)
Henry Takes Out Fading Assuncao
Father Time is undefeated, as they say. Had Raphael Assuncao (27-9-0) fought Victor Henry (22-5-0) three years ago, the line would be a lot closer. As it stands, the online gambling odds foresee Assuncao getting destroyed. Henry is not a power puncher or a master at finishing, but his high work rate will allow him to break Assuncao down and finish him.
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- Pick: Henry By KO. TKO DQ or Submission (+160)
Menifield Sends Cirkunov Packing
Both Alonzo Menifield (12-3-0) and Misha Cirkunov (15-8-0) have a “kill or be killed” mentality. If you combine their fights, 84 percent have ended in a finish. Menifield hits hard and has four first-round finishes in the UFC. That is bad news for Cirkunov, who has lost three in a row and has been knocked out four times.
Cirkunov, who is likely fighting for his job, will be one of two things: more aggressive than usual or more tentative. Neither is ideal as Menifield will find his chin sometime in the fight and finish him. bet online on Menifield to finish (-110) and, for a bigger bang for your buck, bet for it to happen in Round 1.
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- Pick: Menifield in Round 1 (+235)
Be sure to stay tuned as we’ll be covering the most important UFC 281 odds, don’t forget to bet on UFC for the upcoming tournaments!
Wright Surprises Todorovic
Jordan Wright (16-4-0, 1 NC) is the type of fighter you bet as an underdog, especially at his current odds. The “Beverly Hills Ninja” is prone to getting finished thanks to his poor defense. But he also has some fancy striking and it’s enough to finish the lower-tier fighters. That’s where Dusko Todorovic (11-3-0) is. The Serbian is also hittable and has been KO’d twice in the UFC. At a 2-1 price, Wright to finish Todorovic could be the evening’s best UFC bet.
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- Pick: Wright By KO, TKO, DQ or Submission (+200)
JORDAN WRIGHT IN ROUND ONE!! 🤯 This man did not come to play #UFC262 pic.twitter.com/R2wgSBsB2L
— UFC Canada (@UFC_CA) May 16, 2021
Swanson, Martinez Steal Show
Cub Swanson (28-12-0) is hardly ever in a boring fight. That’s because the longtime veteran is all offense in his fights. That’s perfect when he matches up against Jonathan Martinez (16-4-0) as he moves down to 135 pounds for the first time in his career. Martinez expects Swanson to be just like himself despite the weight cut.
If this is true, we can expect a back-and-forth barn burner between these two. Swanson and Martinez both average somewhere around 4.7 significant strikes landed per minute. This is a three-round fight so the two will engage as soon as the referee starts the fight. This one is likely to go to a decision, but not for lack of trying on both ends.
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- Pick: Fight To Go The Distance – Yes (-140)
UFC Fight Night Information
- Date: Saturday, Oct. 15th, 4 p.m. ET
- Venue: UFC Apex, Las Vegas
- Live stream: UFC Fight Pass
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