The Fight Analyst profited again at UFC Vegas 70 (2-1 overall). He will be looking to keep the momentum going this weekend at UFC 285.
The highly anticipated PPV event of the year UFC 285 is finally here. The return of the GOAT, Jon “Bones” Jones will look to make history and bring yet another title home in his brand new weight class as he takes on the former interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane.
We also have the women’s flyweight title on the line as Valentina Shevchenko looks to defend her title yet again against surging contender Alexa Grasso. This fight card is absolutely stacked from top to bottom and is one you will not want to miss. With that said, let’s check out the Best Bets for UFC 285.
Jon Jones vs. Ciryl Gane
It is finally here, the UFC heavyweight championship is on the line when Jon Jones takes on former interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane.
Jones is coming off the longest layoff of his career in just over three years and will be looking to solidify himself as the greatest of all time by capturing yet another title. There are a lot of question marks surrounding what kind of shape he will be in and how he will be at his new weight class but skill wise he is still Jon “Bones” Jones. Of his 26 wins, 16 have come inside the distance which is split between 10 KO/TKO and 6 submissions.
Gane is 1-1 coming into his second chance at winning gold when he takes on his stiffest competition to date. He has the speed, power, and striking abilities to make this fight an extremely tough one for Jones to come back to. Of his 11 wins, eight have come inside the distance which is split between five KO/TKO and three submissions.
This is one of the most anticipated fights in UFC history and it will absolutely deliver. The way that Gane wins this fight is if he fights the absolute perfect fight and that will be a clean kickboxing match, but we all know that this is MMA and not kickboxing. Jones is far more skilled and experienced than any opponent that Gane has faced ever and he knows what he needs to do to get the job done. Ultimately, Gane will look fast and give Jones some trouble early on but then Jones will get into his rhythm turn it up and finish Gane on the mat in the latter portion of this fight.
| The Fight Analyst’s Pick |
|---|
| Jon Jones To Win -170 |
Cody Garbrandt vs. Trevin Jones
In the bantamweight division, we have a fight between the former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt and Trevin Jones.
Garbrandt has been in a pretty bad funk as of late with a 1-5 skid since 2017. He has taken 16 months off along with a change of scenery in hopes to get back on track this weekend. Of his 12 wins, 10 of them have come by way of knockout.
Jones is also in his worst form coming into this matchup losing each of his last three fights which ultimately got him cut from the promotion. With a canceled fight with Julio Arce, it gave Jones the chance to get back to the UFC and stamp his claim in the bantamweight division. Of his 13 wins, seven have come inside the distance which is split between three KO/TKO and four submissions.
The UFC is doing Garbrandt a favor in giving him a matchup against Jones here. His losses have only been to the elite of the elite, former title challengers, former champions, and former top-ranked oppositions. Jones may have some elite skills, but skill for skill Garbrandt has him beat everywhere. As long as Garbrandt’s chin stays intact here, he finally gets back on track with a win against his lowest level of opposition in years.
| The Fight Analyst’s Pick |
|---|
| Cody Garbrandt To Win -172 |
Julian Marquez vs. Marc-Andre Barriault
In the middleweight division, we have a banger between Julian Marquez and Marc-Andre Barriault.
Marquez is coming off of the worst loss of his career at the hands of Gregory Rodrigues. Since that fight, he has changed camps and now fights primarily out of Factory X which should serve him well coming into this matchup. All nine of his wins have come inside the distance, which is split between five KO/TKO and four submissions.
Barriault has alternated wins and losses over his last three fights, with his lone win against the newly released Jordan Wright. He is one of the tougher more durable fighters in the middleweight division which will need to come in handy against the dangerous Marquez. Of his 14 wins, 10 have come inside the distance which is split between nine KO/TKO and one submission.
These two fighters are similarly skilled with their strengths coming from their striking and power to their weaknesses coming from their defensive grappling. Being as now that Marquez is finally training with actual middleweights should serve him well in this matchup. Expect Marquez to mix things up well, taking down Barriault ultimately snatching his neck and getting this submission victory.
| The Fight Analyst’s Pick |
|---|
| Julian Marquez To Win +122 |
