Fight Night Betting Picks
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Stephen Thompson (+100) over Geoff Neal
The main event is a compelling matchup between rising prospect Geoff Neal and perennial contender Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson. I see Thompson as an even-money underdog here and worth betting on. Neal has looked fantastic since his UFC debut in 2018, but his level of competition pales in comparison to Wonderboy. Wonderboy has been in there and done well against the absolute best in the UFC Welterweight division and has extensive experience in 5 round fights. I see Neal being dangerous in the early rounds, but the longer the fight goes on, the bigger endurance advantage Wonderboy will have over Neal. I see Thompson earning a victory on Saturday.
Marcin Tybura (+100) over Greg Hardy
Tybura is another even-money underdog that has a ton of betting potential. Tybura is a seasoned veteran who has been at or near the top of the heavyweight division for years. He will be facing off against the highly controversial ex-NFL star, Greg Hardy. For me, this fight just comes down to experience. Tybura has been in the UFC longer than Hardy has even been fighting and has already faced far stiffer competition. Hardy has looked pretty good since joining the promotion, but aside from his decision loss to Alexander Volkov, he has yet to face any really high-level heavyweights. Tybura, on the other hand, has faced a who’s who of the heavyweight division with his only losses coming to elite competition. Tybura is also currently on a three-fight winning streak, including big wins over Sergey Spivak and Ben Rothwell. I see Tybura’s experience being too much for Hardy to handle, and for Tybura to secure a fairly easy victory.
Rob Font (+130) over Marlon Moraes
This is a huge fight in the Bantamweight division. Both of these guys are exciting and dangerous young fighters, but I see Font as the one to take the fight all the way. Moraes is on a bit of a skid right now, after having been knocked out in two of his last three fights. Font is on a two-fight winning streak and seems to finally be putting it all together. The biggest reason I like Font here has to do entirely with the matchup. At the highest level, Moraes has had the most success when he is able to score an early finish. As the fight goes on, Moraes tends to become less and less dangerous. This favors someone like Rob Font who is pretty elusive, has a five-inch reach advantage, and fights behind a beautiful and educated jab. If Font can avoid getting hurt early, I see his jab busting Moraes up, which will open up the rest of his striking weapons, and lead to a big win for him.