The Fight Analyst finally got back on track at UFC 278 with a 2-1 night. That now puts his overall record to 44-22 and will be looking to build on that this weekend.
After a week hiatus, the UFC is back in full force and is making its promotional debut in Paris, France. To headline this monumental fight card is a fight in the heavyweight division between two of the most dangerous strikers in the division, #1 Ciryl Gane and #3 Tai Tuivasa.
The rest of this card is littered with great talent from overseas. I am really looking forward to this fight card, so with that said, let’s take a look at the Best Bets for UFC Paris.
Nasrat Haqparast vs. John Makdessi
In the lightweight division, we have a fight between two great strikers Nasrat Haqparast and John Makdessi. Nasrat is looking to get back to his winning ways, meanwhile Makdessi is looking to extend his winning streak.
Haqparast is looking to get back on track this weekend in Paris, France. He is coming off of back-to-back losses, albeit against elite competition. He has shown glimpses of what he can do at the highest level and he should shine in this bounce-back spot.
Makdessi has quietly put together a nice 4-1 run in his last 5 fights. Granted none of his wins were against the upper echelon of the division. He still shows that he has what it takes to compete at the highest level even at age 37.
This is a fight where Haqparast can get back into the win column. He has the power and speed advantages in this fight and has the durability to go along with it. As long Haqparast can cut off the angles and stay in Makdessi’s face he cruises to a unanimous decision victory.
The Fight Analyst’s Pick |
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Nasrat Haqparast to win -235 |
Robert Whittaker vs. Marvin Vettori
In the co-main event for this weekend’s festivities, we have a middleweight matchup between two of the division’s best as #1 Robert Whittaker takes on #3 Marvin Vettori.
This will be Whittaker’s first fight after losing a razor-close decision to the champion Israel Adesanya. He showed in that fight that he is the 1B to Adesanya’s 1A as he is leaps and bounds ahead of the rest of the division and he will look to show that this weekend.
Vettori came back after his losing bid to Adesanya to beat Paulo Costa via unanimous decision. His toughness, durability, and forward pressure are what make him one of the best middleweights in the world. He will need to bring all of that and then some to get the job done here on Saturday night.
In this matchup, Whittaker is arguably better than Vettori in every facet of the fight game. What Vettori does have going for him is his endless cardio and his ability to push the pace against anyone. As long as Whittaker doesn’t have a cardio dump or get stuck against the cage for extended periods of time, he should defend the takedowns and outstrike Vettori handily throughout the course of the fight.
The Fight Analyst’s Pick |
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Robert Whittaker to win -210 |
Cristian Quinonez vs. Khalid Taha
In the bantamweight division, we have a fight between Khalid Taha and Contender Series alumni Cristian Quinonez, who is taking this fight on short notice.
Quinonez made a name for himself on the Contender Series winning a tough battle against Long Xiao. Most fighters at the age of 26 don’t come into their promotional debut with almost 19 professional fights. That experience should help him mightily in this matchup against Taha.
Taha hasn’t had a ton of luck as of late with a 1-3-0-1 record in his last 5 fights as one of his wins was overturned due to PED suspension. He has shown a well-rounded skillset, being able to knock out or submit every opponent that stands across from him. That all-around set of tools will have to come in handy to get back into the win column.
Taha is a very powerful striker with some plus grappling abilities. With that said, I think he is at a speed and volume discrepancy in this matchup. Quinonez will be able to avoid the power shots of Taha while out striking at distance and overwhelming him with his volume to a wide decision victory.
The Fight Analyst’s Pick |
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Cristian Quinonez to win -109 |