UFC Betting Preview: High-Flying Michel Pereira Will Have Hands Full with Hernandez

October 16, 2024
4 months

Michel Pereira has been one of the most explosive athletes in UFC’s middleweight and welterweight divisions over the past few years. Learning how to control that athleticism has been one of Pereira’s major challenges. Looking at MMAfighting latest news shows that Pereira’s desire to show off with wild attacks caused him issues competing if he didn’t stop his opponent.

But Pereira has found a way to reign that in. He made a move up to middleweight, which allowed him to cut less, and has found a way to more effectively employ his power. Pereira has won eight straight fights, including three straight finishes at middleweight.

Pereira, now ranked No. 14, will have his opportunity to show that he deserves a real look at a higher ranking. He will have to handle a well-rounded grappler in No. 13 Anthony Hernandez.

Hernandez has won three straight fights, including the last three via submission. He has yet to pick up a win over another top competitor, though his last win over Roman Kopylov was an impressive win. Hernandez may have a better gas tank than Pereira.

While Pereira has been more under control during his last few fights, he is always capable of diverting back into taking high-risk maneuvers. Even with the risk, I like Pereira to win at plus money.

Bets to consider: Under 3.5 rounds, Pereira ML, Pereira by KO/TKO/DQ

Font Searching for Road Back to Contention

Rob Font was once a highly-thought-of, rising contender in the bantamweight division. Font, who is still ranked No. 10 in the division, has appeared like a fighter with the style to make a serious title challenge any time soon. During four of his past five fights, though, Font dropped decision losses to other top contenders.

During Font’s last fight, he couldn’t figure out former bantamweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo. Font’s next opponent will be a difficult matchup with Kyler Phillips. The best MMA news site shows that Phillips is coming off the best win of his career with a decision victory over Pedro Munhoz.

It is tempting to take a shot at Font in this fight because he has fought a number of highly-ranked fighters. However, Phillips seems to be coming into his own and may be the more powerful hitter. Either way, it’s better to just avoid a side and bet the total.

Bets to consider: Over 2.5 rounds

Johnson Finds the Right Way to Win Fights

Charles Johnson debuted in the UFC by winning four of his first six fights. But Johnson seems to have figured things out now. He has three straight wins under his belt and is calling for a spot in the rankings. Su Mudaerji is the fighter who can provide explosive action that could garner more notice for Johnson.

Su has lost his last two fights after being choked unconscious by Tim Elliott and Matt Schnell. The Schnell fight was a travesty for Su. The fighting could have legitimately been stopped several times for a knockout in his favor, but the referee allowed the fight to continue.

The MMA latest updates show that Johnson still has some issues with his gas tank, but Su isn’t much better.

Bets to consider: Johnson by KO/TKO/DQ, Under 2.5 rounds

Nicolau Needs to Bounce Back

Matheus Nicolau entered this fight on the first two-fight losing skid of his career. It’s difficult to imagine this being the case two years ago when Nicolau had won four straight and appeared to be on a track to the championship.

Nicolau has now suffered back-to-back knockout losses to Brandon Royval and Alex Perez. Things won’t get any easier for Nicolau, who now must contend with Asu Almabayev. Almabayev hasn’t lost a fight since 2017, which includes a streak of three wins since entering the UFC.

This will be a good test for Almabayev, who is attempting to prove he belongs among the elite fighters at flyweight. Back Almabayev to deliver in this fight.

Bets to consider: Almabayev via decision

Pineda Has Wild Challenge in Front of Him

Daniel Pineda has lost two straight fights and won’t see things get easier for him when he fights Darren Elkins. While Elkins is hittable and often absorbs a lot of damage during fights, he is difficult to put away. Elkins is 2-2 over his last four fights in the UFC but did defeat T.J. Brown by submission during his last trip to the octagon.

Pineda is a good grappler who has locked up 19 submissions during his career. Both men would like a strong result here. I think both guys will try to keep this fight out of the judges’ hands.

Bets to consider: Pineda by submission, under 2.5 rounds, Fight to not go the distance

Katona Doesn’t Want to Waste Chance

Brad Katona will always value his opportunity to be back in the octagon after he had to earn his way back after battling for a roster spot on The Ultimate Fighter. Katona won his last fight with a dominant decision over Jesse Butler. Now, Katona will test his skills against Jean Matsumoto. Matsumoto is the type of opponent Katona can expect to see until he proves himself. Matsumoto is 15-0 in his career and debuted with a second-round submission win over Dan Argueta. Matsumoto is a versatile fighter who should cause Katona some issues.

While Katona will fight well, this is a fight where Matsumoto should grab another win to improve on his undefeated record.

Bets to consider: Matsumoto by submission

Here are some of the odds for the fights not mentioned above:

Bantamweight, Brady Hiestand (-155) vs. Jake Hadley (+130)

Women’s bantamweight, Joselyne Edwards (-258) vs. Tamires Vidal (+210)

Women’s strawweight, Jessica Penne (+145) vs. Elise Reed (-175)

Women’s strawweight, Melissa Martinez (-142) vs. Alice Ardelean (+120)

Heavyweight, Austen Lane (+340) vs. Robelis Despaigne (-440)

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By Dean McHugh.

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