The Fight Analyst kept his winning ways going with another 2-1 night (54-27 overall). Up next is the biggest PPV event of the year, let’s see who he’s got!
UFC 280 is finally among us! The biggest PPV of the year with two title fights headlining the show. In the co-main, we have a fight between the two best bantamweights in the world as Aljamain Sterling looks to defend his title once more against the former champion TJ Dillashaw.
Of course, how can we forget about the lightweight title fight between Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev which should be a fight for the ages. The rest of the card is absolutely stacked with elite talent like Petr Yan, Sean O’Malley, Belal Muhammad, and Sean Brady just to name a few. With that said, let’s take a look at my Best Bets for UFC 280.
Islam Makhachev vs. Charles Oliveira
The lightweight title is on the line as the reigning and defending champion (C) Charles Oliveira will be putting his title on the line against his toughest competitor to date in #4 Islam Makhachev.
Makhachev has been on a similar run as his counterpart Oliveira was leading up to his title run. He has won 10 in a row and is looking to prove to everyone why he is the most deserving of a title before anyone else come Saturday night.
Oliveira has defied the odds as an underdog in 2 of his last 3 fights against championship-caliber opposition. He is looking to do it once more as an underdog against who some call the boogeyman of the lightweight division. If there is one thing that is certain, it’s that Oliveira is scared to fight no one and he will be going to war this Saturday.
This will go down as one of the best fights in lightweight history. With that said, I believe that Makhachev’s fighting style will be what hands Oliveira his fight loss in 5 years. His nonstop pressure and wrestling will be able to neutralize any attacks from Oliveira off of his back. Meanwhile, on the feet, Makhachev is technically sound not to get caught like Justin Gaethje did a fight prior. Ultimately, Makhachev avoids some dangerous submission attempts to only end Oliveira’s title reign inside 3 rounds.
| The Fight Analyst’s Pick |
|---|
| Islam Makhachev to win -188 |
Aljamain Sterling vs. TJ Dillashaw
In the co-main event for this historic event, we have the bantamweight championship on the line as (C) Aljamain Sterling looks to defend his title against #2 TJ Dillashaw.
After the debacle in his first fight with Petr Yan, Sterling came back in the second fight like a brand-new fighter. He wasn’t completely outmatched on the feet and once he was able to take it to the mat he was able to keep Yan there. Sterling has the wrestling, the cardio, and the unorthodox striking to make this a tough fight for Dillashaw.
Dillashaw is coming into this title fight just 1 fight removed from his PED suspension where he beat Cory Sandhagen where most thought he lost. He is now coming off of a long layoff due to having his PCL and meniscus reconstructed at the age of 36. It is going to be interesting to see how he fares defending takedowns on that knee over the course of 25 minutes.
There are a lot of question marks surrounding Dillashaw that makes it hard to bet on him in this spot. He has been through a ton of wear and tear and has had numerous surgeries over the last 3-4 years. Meanwhile, Sterling is in the best shape of his life and is in his prime right now. At the end of the day, Sterling goes in there and keeps it competitive on the feet and then mixes in the takedowns with control time to retain his title via unanimous decision.
| The Fight Analyst’s Pick |
|---|
| Aljamain Sterling to win -176 |
Belal Muhammad vs. Sean Brady
In the welterweight division, we have a top-ranked fight between two surging contenders in #5 Belal Muhammad and #8 Sean Brady.
A lot of people underestimate Muhammad who’s quietly on an 8-fight winning streak ahead of his matchup against Sean Brady. He is a fighter that can do it all as he can strike, he can wrestle, and he can play jiu-jitsu. All of that and then some will need to be on display against the very dangerous Brady.
Brady has come into the UFC’s welterweight division like a one-man wrecking crew. He is beating everyone in his path soundly and now has his stiffest test to date in Muhammad come Saturday night.
Brady has all the tools to become a welterweight champion one day, but with that said I think Muhammad is the step up that proves to be too much. Muhammad is a workhorse, has cardio for days, and just fights smarter than most in the division. He is able to mix it up better than most and that is what will stifle Brady. Ultimately, Muhammad makes it hard on Brady to get things going and just out strikes and out-grapples him to a decision victory.
| The Fight Analyst’s Pick |
|---|
| Belal Muhammad to win +108 |
