UFC Fight Night Betting Preview

June 4, 2024

1 month

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Jared Cannonier is in danger of falling behind. The UFC’s middleweight division is deep with contenders for Dricus du Plessis’ belt. The No. 1 contender, Sean Strickland, won a fight against a lower-ranked fighter to stake his claim to a title shot. Former champion Robert Whittaker also did something similar.

Cannonier, who is ranked fourth, is set to take on No. 8 Nassourdine Imavov, according to MMA latest updates. While Cannonier has fought against the division’s top fighters, including wins over Strickland and Marvin Vettori, he is now 40. Cannonier, who lost his shot against Israel Adesanya for the title at UFC 276, doesn’t have much time left to pursue the belt.

Nassourdine Imavov hopes to show he belongs among the top fighters in the weight division. Imavov, 29, hasn’t had much good luck recently. After landing an illegal soccer kick, he had to settle for a majority decision win against Roman Dolidze in his last fight.

In the fight before that, Imavov settled for a no-contest in a fight he was winning with Chris Curtis after an accidental clash of heads. Imavov hasn’t faced a deep competition lineup so far in his career. Imavov is the younger man and could lean on his speed to win the fight.

Like many UFC events this year, this features an older fighter trying to protect his rank against an up-and-comer. While this is a situation where Cannonier at plus money to win is tempting, it’s better to avoid a side and back this to finish inside the distance.

Bets to consider: Under 4.5 rounds (+124)

What Does Reyes Have Left?

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Dominick Reyes was once a light heavyweight challenger who pushed Jon Jones to the brink in a championship fight. But that was four years ago. Since then, Reyes has lost all of his mojo.

Reyes will fight Dustin Jacoby this weekend, coming off nearly a two-year layoff. Since losing to Jones at UFC 274, Reyes has been knocked out in three consecutive fights by Jan Błachowicz, Jiří Procházka, and Ryan Spann. MMA news sites show that Reyes, 12-4 in his career, will try to turn things around against Jacoby.

Jacoby is a striking specialist who has also fallen on hard times. Jacoby has 12 knockouts to his credit and has lost three of his previous four fights. Jacoby lost all three of those fights via decision.

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

Rosas Needs to Get in the Octagon

Raul Rosas Jr. has been in a tough position with the UFC recently. Due to illness, Rosas pulled out of his scheduled fight with Ricky Turcios back in February. The fight was rescheduled for the next week, but was canceled when Rosas still wasn’t ready.

Rosas, 19, signed with the UFC two years ago and has an excellent ground game. If the young prospect will deliver on his promise, he will need to develop better striking. Turcios is a solid veteran fighter.

He has seen 10 of his 15 fights go the distance. Turcios hasn’t spent too much time on the mat. This one will go the distance.

Bets to consider: Over 2.5 rounds (-160), Turcios by decision

Ferreira Prepares for Another Tough Test

Brunno Ferreira was able to get back on track during his last fight. Ferreira knocked out Phil Hawes with five seconds remaining in the first round. While adding another knockout to his resume was nice, Ferreira won’t want to get too overconfident, as Hawes has a reputation for being chinny.

Now, Ferreira will face a man who is more comfortable being on the mats. Dustin Stoltzfus has picked up seven of his career 16 victories by submission. While Stoltzfus is also vulnerable to being finished, he has some skills that will force Ferreira to be on his toes.

Bets to consider: Under 1.5 rounds, Ferreira by KO/TKO/DQ

Marquez Needs to Save His Career

Julian Marquez has lost two straight fights by knockout. It’s a tough position to be in when he is now paired with Zach Reese, who lost his UFC debut by losing last December when he was knocked out with a slam. Reese doesn’t have much professional experience, only having seven professional fights.

Marquez has proven to be at his best in the UFC when he can get fights to the ground. He has won all three of his fights by submission. He will want to lean on those grappling skills to keep Reese on his toes.

Reese also has two submission wins as well.

Bets to consider: Marquez by finish

Caramel Thunder Seeks Previous Form

Miguel Baeza opened his MMA career by winning his first ten fights. Since his submission win over Takashi Sato in November 2020, Baeza has lost all three of his fights since then. Following consecutive knockout losses, Baeza is set to return to the octagon following a two-year absence.

Punahele Soriano is also coming off consecutive disappointing losses. Soriano was submitted by Stoltzfus last December. That came after he was knocked out by Roman Kopylov earlier in the year. Soriano has power in his hands, but anyone looking at MMA breaking news will show he hasn’t been consistent throughout his career.

Baeza is a creative striker who needs to come back and grab a victory. The question for both men will be how their respective chins can hold up.

Bets to consider: Baeza by KO/TKO/DQ, Under 1.5 Rounds

Here are some quick picks on the fights not mentioned above: