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The Fight Analyst is coming off of the first losing night in over two months. He will be looking to get back on track this weekend at UFC Vegas 54.
The UFC is on the heels of a great PPV event at UFC 274 which saw Charles Oliviera keep his winning streak alive by finishing Justin Gaethje by rear-naked choke in the first round, and a new strawweight champion crowned as Carla Esparza upset Rose Namajunas in a very close split-decision win.
On tap this weekend we have UFC Vegas 54 which is headlined by two top-ranked light heavyweight contenders in former UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz and Aleksandar Rakic. The rest of this fight card is exciting from top to bottom. So, let’s take a look at the Best Bets for UFC Vegas 54.
Virna Jandiroba vs. Angela Hill
| The Fight Analyst’s Pick |
|---|
| Virna Jandiroba -160 to win |
At women’s strawweight, we have a fight between two divisional mainstays in Virna Jandiroba and Angela Hill. Both fighters are looking to rebound from losses and get back on the winning track in this fight.
A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion, Jandiroba came into the UFC with a ton of hype surrounding her, but fell in her UFC debut to the newly crowned strawweight champion Esparza. Jandiroba has been rounding out her skillset as her career has progressed in the octagon. She will have her work cut out for her as she takes on Angela Hill.
Hill is coming into this fight off of consecutive losses and is only 1-4 in her last five fights. This is a make-or-break fight for Hill as she is desperately in need of a win come Saturday night.
Hill will need to fight the perfect fight in order to get her hand raised against Jandiroba. Unfortunately for her, all it takes is one takedown, and Jandiroba can either get the finish or ride out the round in top control. In short, Jandiroba marches forward, cuts off the cage, and gets into the clinch dragging Hill to the mat and getting the second-round submission.
| The Fight Analyst’s Pick |
|---|
| Virna Jandiroba -160 to win |
Viviane Araujo vs. Andrea Lee
| The Fight Analyst’s Pick |
|---|
| Viviane Araujo -110 to win |
In the women’s flyweight division we have a fight between two ranked contenders in No. 8 Viviane Araujo and No. 9 Andrea Lee.
Araujo is coming off of a hard-fought loss to Katlyn Chookagian who was just too much for her on the feet. She is a very well-rounded mixed martial artist that has the ability to beat her opponents on the feet or on the mat. She will need to mix things up against Lee or it might up like a very similar fight she had against Chookagian.
Lee is coming off of two impressive victories against Cynthia Calvillo and Antonina Shevchenko. She is a striker by trade but as in her previous two fights has shown she can grapple with the best as well. That grappling will be key in this fight against the dangerous Araujo.
This is going to be a very interesting fight between these two flyweight contenders. On the feet, Araujo has the power and quickness advantages while Lee has the volume and cardio advantages. Araujo will need to mix in the takedowns which have been Lee’s biggest weakness in the past, so as long as she doesn’t gas out as she did against Chookagian she should run away with this one.
| The Fight Analyst’s Pick |
|---|
| Viviane Araujo -110 to win |
Aleksandar Rakic vs. Jan Blachowicz
| The Fight Analyst’s Pick |
|---|
| Aleksandar Rakic -180 to win |
In the main event, we have a fight in the light heavyweight division between two ranked contenders looking to get into title contention, Jan Blachowicz and Aleksandar Rakic.
Rakic has always looked like a true contender ever since he stepped foot inside the UFC octagon. He is an elite athlete with a well-rounded skill set that can give any fighter in light heavyweight division problems. He is up against his toughest opponent to date and he will need to be at the top of his game to come out with the biggest win of his career.
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz is one fight removed from losing his title to the now champion Glover Teixeira. He was previously scheduled to fight Rakic back in March, but had to pull out of their bout due to a serious neck injury that left him paralyzed on one side of his body. If this injury hinders him at all he could be in real trouble against Rakic.
Rakic is in his prime right now and is looking to contend for the light heavyweight championship. A win here would put him right in the title talks and it all starts with a big win on Saturday night. He will need to stick and move, keep this fight at distance and mix in some takedowns as that will be his recipe for success against the former champion.
| The Fight Analyst’s Pick |
|---|
| Aleksandar Rakic -180 to win |
