Garrett Kerman aka The Fight Analyst is coming off of a perfect 3-0 night at UFC 271. Don’t miss out on his plays for UFC Vegas 48.
The UFC is back at the Apex in Las Vegas after a successful road trip to Houston, Texas for UFC 271. Last weekend we saw Israel Adesanya defend his Middleweight title for a fourth time defeating Robert Whittaker via unanimous decision.
We also have the next opponent for Adesanya as Jared Cannonier blasted himself into title contention after a brutal knockout of Derek Brunson. That pay-per-view certainly lived up to the expectations.
On tap for this weekend we have a light heavyweight main event between two of the division’s best in Johnny Walker and Jamahal Hill. That fight should be exciting for however long it lasts.
The rest of this card is stacked up-and-coming talent like David Onama, Jonathan Pearce and Joaquin Buckley. We are coming off of a perfect 3-0 night at UFC 271 and we are looking to keep that momentum going. With that said, let’s dig deep into the Best Bets for UFC Vegas 48.
David Onama vs. Gabriel Benitez
| Garrett’s Pick | Odds |
| David Onama | -150 |
We have a scrap in the featherweight division between Gabriel Benitez and David Onama. Both fighters are coming off of losses and are looking to get back on track in his matchup.
Onama came into the UFC as a short-notice replacement to take on Mason Jones at lightweight in a fight that was an absolute barn burner. Onama is physically strong for the featherweight and packs some serious power with five of his eight coming by way of knockout.
Benitez has had a string of some bad losses, losing three of his last four but against good competition. He has always shown toughness throughout his tenure with the UFC but it looks as if that has taken a toll on him in recent years.
Benitez is a great technical striker that knows how to use precise combinations to keep his opponents at range like he did against Justin Jaynes. With that said, as of late he has been more prone to brawls than in the past which bodes well for Onama.
Onama has the power to change the landscape of this fight and even has the grappling advantage if he wants to take it there. Benitez will have his moments early on until they start trading in the pocket and Onama catches him clean and puts him away.
Jessica-Rose Clark vs. Stephanie Egger
| Garrett’s Pick | Odds |
| Jessica-Rose Clark | -180 |
We have great matchup between two contenders in the woman’s bantamweight division with Jessica-Rose Clark taking on Stephanie Egger. Both are coming off of impressive wins and are looking to keep their momentum going.
Clark has looked revitalized since moving back up the bantamweight division. Since she has won two in a row and looking to make it number three with a win against Egger. Clark is a longtime UFC veteran and has the tools to make this the hardest fight of Egger’s career.
Egger was able to finally get her first UFC win after beating down Shanna Young in two rounds. The longtime judoka is exceptionally strong in the clinch has a really good great game to go along with it. She will need to utilize her size advantage to get this fight in the clinch and take it to the mat to keep her winning ways going.
Clark just seems like the more well-rounded fighter between the two. She is the far superior striker and she has shown good grappling as well. Egger has to get this fight to the ground or she will be picked apart at range for the entirety of this fight. Clark should be able to defend the early takedown attempts, keep distance and land at will for a unanimous decision victory.
Mark Striegl vs. Chas Skelly
| Garrett’s Pick | Odds |
| Mark Striegl | +170 |
We have a featherweight matchup between two exciting grapplers in Mark Striegl and Chas Skelly. Striegl lost his UFC debut in his most recent fight while Skelly won his most recent fight but was almost three years ago.
Striegl came into the UFC as a One Championship mainstay and got starched in round one against Said Nurmagomedov. He wasn’t able to show us much in that fight but things should be a lot different here against Skelly. Striegl is known for his grappling with 14 wins via submission and that will come in handy in this matchup.
Skelly is coming off of a massive two-and-a-half year-long layoff due to nagging injuries and having surgery over that time. His last win was at age 33 and now he is age 36 and at the tail end of his career. Skelly is a hard-nosed grinder that is always looking to grind his opponent into the mat which is something he will need to utilize in this matchup.
Both of these fighters have a combined 24 submissions in their professional careers. So you can expect a heavy dose of grappling exchanges between the two. We have seen Skelly fade as the fights have gone especially in his most recent win against Jordan Griffin. If Striegl can make Skelly work early and often and not get caught in a submission he should be able to take over this fight the later it goes and possibly get the late finish.