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Dana White has outdone himself with this absolutely stacked card. UFC 251 boasts three title fights in the debut of Fight Island. The event was going to sell like crazy as it stood a week ago but the late addition of Masvidal, due to Gilbert Burns unfortunately diagnosis of COVID-19, has the MMA community buzzing. Finally we get to see Masvidal go for a title against feared champ Kamaru Usman. Max Holloway is a fan favorite and former champion who will be featured in the co-main event. He will attempt to regain his Featherweight title in a rematch against Alexander Volkanovski. Petr Yan will be on full display trying to capture his first belt in the UFC facing the dangerous veteran Jose Aldo. Masvidal vs Usman speaks for itself; Masvidal is one of the hottest fighters in the world right now and Usman’s last fight ended with a TKO and his opponent's jaw broken. The three title fights are definitely the attention grabbing bouts on this card but we’re also going to see some captivating women’s bouts with Thug Rose back in action and Amanda Ribas getting an opportunity to prove she is for real. This Saturday is going to be absolutely electric. This column will show some insight from myself and Zach Binsfeld, along with our picks for the title fights.
(Image via Oddsshark.com)
Welterweight Title Fight: Kamaru Usman (-260) vs. Jorge Masvidal (+210):
Masvidal won fighter of the year last year as he burst onto the scene. If you have been around UFC for a while Masvidal has been a very middle of the road fighter who flashed signs of a contender. His 2019 started with a bang as he destroyed Darren Till; a fight that was made to get the title contender back on track after a loss to Woodley for the belt. Masvidal then went on and had the most electric knockout I’ve ever seen; a knee to Ben Askren’s head 5 seconds into the fight. He then capped off his year by picking Nate Diaz apart to capture the new BMF title. Masvidal is a crowd favorite after this 2019 run and has not only a belt in his sights but a huge payout if he can out maneuver the deadly champ Kamaru Usman. Usman is coming off of a brutal bout against Colby Covington in December of last year where the fight was fairly even until Usman actually broke Covington’s jaw and dominated the late rounds. He won the belt back in 2019 by picking apart Tyron Woodley for 25 minutes in one of the worst performances from a title holder I’ve ever seen. This is going to be a pivotal title defense for Usman and with Masvidal coming off of a six day rest I can see stamina coming to play in this fight, especially during the championship rounds if they get there. Both have knockout power, both have big names in the MMA community, this fight is going to be absolutely electric.
Ryan Fight Winner: Usman (-260) || Ryan Pick: Usman By Decision (+135)
Zach Fight Winner: Usman (-260) || Zach Pick: Usman By Decision (-260)
Featherweight Title Fight : Alexander Volkanovski (-240) vs. Max Holloway (+195)
I am going to start by saying I am absolutely biased here and love Max Holloway. He is a lanky striker who can press you and force action. He's out for redemption on Saturday night trying to regain his title from Volkanovski. The current champ has an impeccable record of 21-1 with his only loss being way back in 2013 via TKO when he was just four fights into his pro career. Nobody in the UFC has been able to get to this technical fighter who has proven he can take a punch from some of the hardest hitters in the division. Zach really likes Volkanovski in this matchup and thinks the rematch will look a lot like the first fight; a heavy back and forth on the feet primarily that will end in a Volkanovski decision to retain his belt. Holloway has looked relaxed all weekend and not seeming to be bothered by all the obstacles this new venue might present. I have him taking out the champ via TKO and taking the belt back to Hawaii.
Ryan Fight Winner: Holloway (+195) || Ryan Pick: Holloway via Decision (+265)
Zach Fight Winner: Volkanovski (-240) || Zach Pick: Volkanovski via Decision (+105)
Bantamweight Title Fight: Petr Yan (-240) vs. Jose Aldo (+200)
Jose Aldo at 6th in this division really snuck his way into a title fight and that’s mainly because his name is insanely sell-able for Dana White. He can also thrive in championship rounds when he can make it there. I have been watching Aldo since the WEC days and his brawls with Urijah Faber. He's a legend in the MMA community and has had extreme success in the past, including a streak of nine title defenses in a row stretching from the WEC to the UFC. The questionable part of him being placed in this fight is his current two loss streak including his last fight being a loss in a brand new division to him. Petr Yan is on an absolute tear right now at 14-1 with his lone career loss back in 2016 via split decision. He is young (27) and on the rise; going into his first UFC title fight with something to prove. He recently dominated Urijah Faber and I think will do the same to the aging star Jose Aldo, who is only 33 (which blows my mind). The only thing about Yan that scares me is the lack of top tier talent he has faced so far in his career. This fight has potential to be a brawl and a shocker. I think regardless who wins the bantamweight belt the victor won’t hold it for long.
Ryan Fight Winner: Yan (-240) || Ryan Pick: Yan via TKO (+150)
Zach Fight Winner: Yan (-240) || Zach Pick: Yan via TKO (+150)
Rose Namajunas -200 vs. Jessica Andrade +170
Thug Rose stole our hearts during UFC 217 when she shocked the world and knocked out Joanna Jędrzejczyk to capture the Strawweight title. She was +800 that night and hasn’t been taken lightly by any opponents or oddsmakers ever since. Rose has a great ground game and knockout power for this division. She is coming off a title loss to the former champ and current opponent, Jessica Andrade, who is 20-7 in her career. Andrade was getting hammered by Namajunas before her busting out a grimacing slam that sent shockwaves throughout the arena and earned her the belt. Andrade’s last fight came against Zhang Weilli who absolutely destroyed her in a 42 second first round TKO. We both think Thug Rose will come out firing and out point Andrade for a victory.
Ryan Fight Winner: Namajunas (-200) || Ryan Pick: Namajunas via Submission (+400)
Zach Fight Winner: Namajunas (-200) || Zach Pick: Namajunas via TKO (+350)
Extra Picks:
If you need a money maker and an extreme longshot; Paige Vanzant is a huge underdog at +525. I honestly think Ribas is going to dominate her but if I lose a couple fights in the beginning I might have to pull the trigger and hope for a miracle knockout in this one.
At -155 Volkan Oezdimer is going to be a big bet for me on Saturday. He is a former title contender and is on a big card, I expect him to handle Prochazka and move up the rankings.
Another fight to dabble with if you're down big early could be Zaleski Dos Santos who has great KO Power. He is +950 to win by TKO.
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