Garrett Kerman has been handicapping combat sports as The Fight Analyst since 2017. His clients have never had a losing year and his picks have generated a lifetime ROI of 15%.
The UFC is back in “H-Town” Houston, Texas with a stacked pay-per-view card. Headlining this massive event is the highly anticipated rematch between two of the best Middleweights in the world, UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya vs. Robert Whittaker.
Of course, it wouldn’t be right if the hometown favorite “The Black Beast” Derrick Lewis wasn’t on the card as he takes on the surging Tai Tuivasa in a fight that should undoubtedly not see the judge’s scorecards.
There are a lot of great fights on this big pay-per-view event which means there is a lot of money to be made. Let’s take a look at the Best Bets for UFC 271 and put some cash in your pockets.
Bobby Green vs. Nasrat Haqparast
| Garrett’s Pick | Odds |
| Bobby Green | -140 |
We have a banger in the lightweight division with a fight between Bobby Green and Nasrat Haqparast. Both of these fighters come to throw down in the center of the octagon which will make for an exciting fight to watch and bet on.
Green is coming off of his best performance as of late with a first-round knockout of Al Iaquinta. Green has been more of a decision machine before that fight but showed that he still has the power to put anyone’s lights out. If Haqparast thinks he can just stand and trade in the pocket with Green he will be in for a rude awakening come Saturday night.
Haqparast came into the UFC guns blazing winning three of his first four fights in the promotion. Since then he is 2-2 with his losses only coming against elite competition in Dan Hooker and Drew Dober. Haqparast has the striking acumen to keep up with the boxing of Bobby Green and test him as the fight gets into the later rounds.
This fight is closely lined for a reason as both fighters should have their moments in this matchup. It’s hard to imagine that Haqparast will have success just standing in front of Green and throwing down. Expect Green to be able to keep this fight at distance, using his superior boxing to keep his winning ways going and climb the rankings.
Jared Cannonier vs. Derek Brunson
| Garrett’s Pick | Odds |
| Jared Cannonier | -175 |
Two top-5 Middleweight contenders square off in what looks to be the number one contender fight as #3 Jared Cannonier takes on the surging #4 Derek Brunson. Both fighters are looking to keep their momentum going in hopes of scoring a title shot with a win.
Cannonier was able to return to the win column in his last fight with a dominant victory over Kelvin Gastelum. He is now 4-1 since his move to the Middleweight division. If you didn’t know, Cannonier is one of six fighters to have wins across three different weight classes in the UFC with knockouts in each of them.
Brunson has been on an absolute tear since his loss to Israel Adesanya. He has since rattled off five consecutive wins. His most recent performance saw him finish Darren Till by rear-naked choke in round three. Brunson will need more of that in order to get by the powerful Jared Cannonier.
This is a classic grappler vs striker matchup. Cannonier will want to keep this fight on the feet while Brunson is going to want to use his superior wrestling to take the fight to the mat. Even with how impressive Brunson has looked he is still too hittable for my liking. I expect Brunson to land a few takedowns but ultimately Cannonier lands the kill shot within two rounds.
Renato Moicano vs. Alexander Hernandez
| Garrett’s Pick | Odds |
| Renato Moicano | -174 |
We have a lightweight matchup between two seasoned fighters in Renato Moicano and Alexander Hernandez. Both fighters are coming off of impressive finishes in their last bouts and are looking to keep their momentum going.
Renato Moicano once a featherweight contender, has since gone 2-1 in his new weight class. Moicano has the tools to rise in the rankings in the lightweight division but for that to happen he has to take care of business against Alexander Hernandez.
Hernandez came into the UFC with a knockout win against now #3 ranked Beneil Dariush. Since then he has had some mixed success in the octagon, with his most recent win coming against short notice newcomer Mike Breeden. If Hernandez wants to get the upset win over Moicano, he’s going to have to be at the top of his game.
Moicano looks to be the all-around better fighter in this matchup. He has the striking to win the exchanges on the feet and the wrestling/jiu-jitsu to make Hernandez think twice before just pressuring forward. As long as Moicano’s shaky chin doesn’t fault him, he should be able to get back on a winning streak here in the Lightweight division.