The Fight Analyst returns to his winning ways with a 2-1 night (62-32). He will be looking to keep the momentum going this weekend at UFC Vegas 65.
We are on the heels of one of the best UFC PPV events in quite some time. We saw not one but two titles change hands and turn a new page in the strawweight and middleweight divisions. The event had excitement from start to finish and is one that you should go back and rewatch if you missed it.
Up next is a fight card back at the UFC Apex, headlined by two heavy-hitting heavyweights in Derrick Lewis and Serghei Spivac. There are a ton of good up-and-coming prospects that should make for a fun day of fights. With that said, let’s look at the Best Bets for UFC Vegas 65.
Charles Johnson vs. Zhalgas Zhumagulov
In the men’s flyweight division, we have a fun scrap between two exciting fighters in Charles Johnson and Zhalgas Zhumagulov. Both fighters are desperately in need of a win that should bring out the best in them.
Johnson had the daunted task to take on the hottest prospect in the flyweight division Muhammad Mokaev in his UFC debut. Unfortunately, things didn’t go his way but he will be looking to bounce back in a much more forgivable matchup. Johnson is an elite striker that has physical gifts with a 5″ height and 4″ reach advantages which should play vital roles in this fight.
Zhumagulov has had a rough go as of late with only a 1-4 record in his last 5 fights. You can even argue that he should be 3-2 in those contests. He has faced great competition throughout his time in the UFC as well as outside so that experience could help him in this matchup.
Zhumagulov has shown glimpses of what he could be but always tends to falter in his fights. If he wants to get back into the win column, his grappling will need to be on full display here. That’s easier said than done, as Johnson has shown great takedown defense and the ability to get back to his feet. Ultimately, Johnson defends the takedowns and keeps this fight at range where he picks apart Zhumagulov for a unanimous decision victory.
| The Fight Analyst’s Pick |
|---|
| Charles Johnson to win -160 |
Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs. Chase Sherman
In the heavyweight division, we have a banger of a fight as two strikers collide in Waldo Cortes-Acosta and Chase Sherman.
Cortes-Acosta got his first win inside the octagon when he beat Jared Vanderaa via unanimous decision to improve to 8-0 in his young MMA career. He showed great composure as well as striking technique to overcome the heavy calf kicks of Vanderaa in that fight. He is taking this fight against Sherman on short notice after just fighting 3 weeks ago.
Sherman was originally slated to face Josh Perisian a few weeks ago, but Parisian was hospitalized just hours before the event. He is coming off of a win for the first time in the UFC since 2020. Sherman is one to not back down from a brawl and that is just what he is going to get here against Cortes-Acosta.
It is really hard for me to bet on Sherman against anyone with fundamental striking abilities. Cortes-Acosta fits that bill as he was a professional boxer before turning into an MMA fighter. In Sherman’s last 3 fights that have made it to round 3, each of his opponents landed more than 100 strikes against him. If he allows Cortes-Acosta to tee off on him, I don’t expect him to reach round 3. Cortes-Acosta goes in there and tees off on Sherman and gets him out of there inside two rounds.
| The Fight Analyst’s Pick |
|---|
| Waldo Cortes-Acosta to win -220 |
Brady Hiestand vs. Fernie Garcia
In the bantamweight division, we have a fight between The Ultimate Fighter runner-up Brady Hiestand and Fernie Garcia.
Hiestand came up short in his bid to be the next Ultimate Fighter. Many thought he won that fight, and he was fighting with a torn ACL. Now, Hiestand is healthy, ready to go, and to put forth the best fight of his career and he has a good matchup ahead of him.
Garcia is also coming off of a loss in his UFC debut to Journey Newson. He is a heavy-handed striker that thrives in a stand-up brawl. The downside to that is he is susceptible to being taken down and controlled which could be of big concern this weekend.
Garcia will undoubtedly have success on the feet, especially early on. The problem lies in that he tends to fade as the fight progresses and having to defend takedowns will only make matters worse. In all, Hiestand stays out of danger on the feet and dominates Garcia in the grappling to a unanimous decision victory.
| The Fight Analyst’s Pick |
|---|
| Hiestand to win -145 |
