It’s a night of extremes inside Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., this Saturday (Jan . 22, 2022) when UFC Heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannou, and Flyweight kingpin, Brandon Moreno, take on bitter rivals Ciryl Gane and Deiveson Figueiredo, respectively.
The newly expensive pay-per-view (PPV) main card (details here) will also see Michel Pereira take on the debuting Andre Fialho in a clash of Welterweight knockout machines and top Bantamweight prospect Said Nurmagomedov return to action against dangerous veteran Cody Stamann.
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What Went Wrong at UFC Vegas 46?
Well, I can’t say that’s how I wanted to start the year. Ramiz Brahimaj crumbled thanks to Court McGee doing all the things I accused him of not doing, Joseph Holmes sleepwalked his way to defeat against Jamie Pickett, and Giga Chikadze succumbed to Calvin Kattar’s pressure despite his previous masterclass against Edson Barboza.
Nowhere to go but up, at least?
UFC 270 Odds For The Under Card:
Raoni Barcelos (-450) vs. Victor Henry (+340)
Ilia Topuria (-525) vs. Charles Jourdain (+385)
Jack Della Maddalena (-320) vs. Pete Rodriguez (+250)
Tony Gravely (-240) vs. Saimon Oliveira (+195)
Michael Morales (-130) vs. Trevin Giles (+110)
Vanessa Demopoulos (-140) vs. Silvana Gomez Juarez (+120)
Matt Frevola (-190) vs. Genaro Valdez (+160)
Kay Hansen (-225) vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius (+185)
Thoughts: We’re casting a wide net this week. Raoni Barcelos, Jack Della Maddalena, Tony Gravely, Silvana Gomez Juarez, Matt Frevola and Kay Hansen.
Like I said the last time I recommended a bet on Barcelos, he basically has Victor Henry beat everywhere. Sharper hands, better wrestling, superior submissions, you name it. All Henry really has going for him is that he’s difficult to finish, but I can’t recall Barcelos ever slowing down with the early stoppage wasn’t there.
In short, Barcelos is a solid anchor.
Della Maddalena cut his teeth against strong Australian opposition and absolutely dominated on Contender Series. Pete Rodriguez has spent less than five minutes in the cage as a professional, is stepping up on short notice, and hasn’t beaten anyone of note.
In other words, Della Maddalena by mauling.
Gravely has his share of red flags, but Saimon Oliveira’s poor takedown defense makes this an extremely winnable fight for him. The Brazilian got torn apart on the mat by Ary Farias in his last defeat, and though he’s got power and a good guillotine, Gravely’s massive wrestling edge looks like too much to overcome.
Same deal as last time on Juarez — she’s a better striker than Demopoulos, who lacks the takedown skills to bring her dangerous submissions to bear … Viva Argentina!
Not to be reductive, but Frevola basically does what Genaro Valdez does, only better. He’s the stronger wrestler and the cleaner striker by default, and though Valdez is the more durable of the two, he’s out-classed everywhere else. So long as Frevola doesn’t get caught up in a slugfest, he steamrolls “El Rayadito” without much issue.
Jasmine Jasudavicius often neglects her considerable height and reach in favor of clinching and wrestling, areas where Hansen has her badly out-classed. Even if Jasudavicius does try to strike, her Contender Series bout saw her fail to maintain range against Julia Polastri, who has almost the exact same proportions as Hansen. Hansen should toss her around for either an early sub or one-sided decision.
UFC 270 Odds For The Main Card:
Cyril Gane (-150) vs. Francis Ngannou (+130)
Brandon Moreno (-180) vs. Deiveson Figueiredo (+155)
Michel Pereira (-290) vs. Andre Fialho (+230)
Said Nurmagomedov (-180) vs. Cody Stamann (+155)
Rodolfo Vieira (-225) vs. Wellington Turman (+185)
Thoughts: The main- and co-main bouts are way too volatile to invest in, and while Michel Pereira almost certainly beats Andre Fialho, the latter has some ridiculous power that could turn things around instantly.
Stick with Said Nurmagomedov.
Cody Stamann is admittedly much better than I usually give him credit for, but Nurmagomedov has a lot going his way. The Dagestani boasts significant height and reach advantages to go along with his more versatile striking offense, and he’s no slouch in the wrestling either; he was on pace to beat one of the division’s best grapplers in Raoni Barcelos before throwing an ill-advised spinning kick in the third.
Even with the layoff, Nurmagomedov’s a solid investment.
And last but not least, Wellington Turman is 1-3 in his last four, that one win over Sam Alvey. Yes, Vieira’s collapse against Anthony Hernandez was an all-time disaster, but that’s no reason to make him this slight a favorite against a lesser grappler. Let the fact that he went most of three hard rounds with Dustin Stoltzfus ease your worries about Vieira’s cardio and bet big on “The Black Belt Hunter.”
UFC 270 Best Bets:
- Parlay — Rodolfo Vieira and Kay Hansen: Bet $80 to make $87.20
- Parlay — Tony Gravely and Matt Frevola: Bet $60 to make $72
- Parlay — Jack Della Maddalena and Said Nurmagomedov: Bet $60 to make $62.40
- Parlay — Raoni Barcelos and Silvana Gomez Juarez: Bet $40 to make $67.70
Is UFC 270 going to be an entertaining card? Definitely. Is it worth the new price? That’s for you to decide. See you Saturday, Maniacs.
Initial Investment For 2022: $600
Current Total: $300
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 270 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard balance on ESPN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.
To check out the latest and greatest UFC 270: “Ngannou vs. Gane” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.
