Conor McGregor’s withdrawal from his highly anticipated fight against Michael Chandler was disappointing, but there are still some tremendous bouts on Saturday’s UFC 303 card to keep us entertained, including a rematch between Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka.
Here are our best bets:
Alex Pereira vs. Jiri Prochazka
The light heavyweight belt is at stake, with Pereira, the current champion, hoping to stave off the exceptionally powerful Prochazka.
Pereira finished Prochazka in the second round last November at UFC 295, winning by what many considered a questionable TKO.
Prochazka was hobbled by a right hook-left hook combination when the Czech tried to push Pereira against the fence.
Nevertheless, Prochazka was more than capable of continuing the fight and pulled Pereira to the ground right as the referee stepped in.
Can we expect the same outcome for this epic championship rematch? Probably not.
The main issue that Prochazka faces is that Pereira disguises his leg kicks so well that there is no proper way to protect himself from them.
The power, accuracy, cleverness and disguise of his leg kicks make him arguably the best in the world in that facet.
Prochazka will have to endure some treacherous kicks if he wants to win, but if anyone can take a beating and stay upright, it is him.
Additionally, Prochazka knows what to expect now. No doubt he has watched the tape and trained up his legs even more to avoid a similar fate.
Few fighters possess the raw power Prochazka has, and he can change a fight’s direction with just one punch.
He also has been KO’d or TKO’d only one other time since 2013.
Prochazka landed a couple of clean punches on Pereira in their first bout, and I expect he will find even more success on Saturday.
Recommendation: Prochazka moneyline (+130, BetMGM).
Brian Ortega vs. Diego Lopes
Ortega, the third-ranked flyweight contender, will step into the Octagon to face the 14th-ranked Lopes in this enthralling co-main event.
Surprisingly (to some), Lopes enters this bout as the favorite at -140, despite Ortega being the higher-ranked fighter.
Regardless, Lopes has been on a mission, winning three straight fights in the first round and boasting a 3-1 record in the UFC. He also has a 3.5-inch reach advantage over Ortega.
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Ortega has more experience against elite fighters and in five-round affairs, which could be something to monitor in this bout.
Though Lopes has had great success recently, finishing unranked fighters early, his tank hasn’t been tested like Ortega’s.
The total rounds for this bout is set at 1.5, but it would be shocking to see Lopes finish Ortega in the first round and a half because of Ortega’s experience and his inevitable strategy of testing Lopes’ tank, forcing him to go deep into this fight.
Expect patience from Ortega, especially because he knows the power in Lopes’ hands.
We usually hate to bet heavy favorites, but the Over at -185 is the clear play here.
Recommendation: Over 1.5 rounds (-185, DraftKings).