The Fight Analyst profited yet again (2-1 overall) at UFC Vegas 68. He will look to keep this momentum going this weekend at UFC 284.
After a week’s hiatus, the UFC came back with a late-night fight card that delivered from top to bottom. We saw Serghei Spivak rise to the occasion and look like a true contender, meanwhile, we saw Derrick Lewis fall from grace.
Up next is a stacked UFC PPV event UFC 284 from Perth, Australia which is headlined by the two pound-for-pound best fighters in the UFC, Islam Makhachev, and Alexander Volkanovski. They will be battling it out for the Lightweight title and for that number one spot. With that said, let’s take a look at the Best Bets for UFC 284.
$750 Welcome BonusJamie Mullarkey vs. Francisco Prado
In a lightweight matchup, we have a fight between Jamie Mullarkey and promotional newcomer Francisco Prado.
Mullarkey was set to take on Nasrat Haqparast but he, unfortunately, had to withdraw from the bout. He is coming off a split decision victory against Michael Johnson his last time out and has won three of his last four with two of those coming by knockout.
Prado is one of the top prospects coming out of South America. He is undefeated at 11-0 with all 11 wins coming inside the distance.
This fight should be an absolute barnburner between these two highly aggressive strikers. I expect this fight to play out closer than the betting line suggests, so I am taking that this fight doesn’t go to a decision as both are live the knockout.
| The Fight Analyst’s Pick |
|---|
| Mullarkey vs. Prado Doesn’t Go The Distance -225 |
Yair Rodriguez vs. Josh Emmett
We have an interim Featherweight Championship on the line as #2 Yair Rodriguez takes on #5 Josh Emmett.
Rodriguez is coming off of a win against Brian Ortega that saw him pop his arm out of the socket in round 1. Most do not believe Rodriguez is deserving of this title shot but his work inside the octagon shows that he truly is deserving. Of his 14 wins, six have come by way of knockout.
Emmett has been the underdog story of the Featherweight division. He has been overlooked throughout the majority of his time in the UFC and he has finally gotten his shot after a controversial split decision win over Calvin Kattar in his last fight. Of his 18 wins, eight have come inside the distance with six by knockout and two by submission.
While Emmett has more tools in his pocket than Rodriguez, this is going to be a tough matchup if this fight is fought on the feet and at range. He had trouble with the speed and length of Kattar in his last fight and I expect more of the same here. Rodriguez will utilize his length to keep Emmett at the end of his strikes ultimately knocking him out as the fight gets into the championship rounds.
| The Fight Analyst’s Pick |
|---|
| Yair Rodriguez To Win -180 |
Joshua Culibao vs. Melsik Baghdasaryan
In the Featherweight division, we have a banger of a fight between Joshua Culibao and Melsik Baghdasaryan.
Culibao is coming off consecutive wins against Seung Woo Choi and Shayilan Nuerdanbieke. He is a striker by trade that is always looking to come forward, throw volume, and land heavy leather on his opponent. Of his 10 wins, five have come by way of knockout.
Baghdasaryan is currently riding a seven-fight winning streak and is 3-0 in the UFC. He was an accomplished kickboxer before making the move to MMA. Of his seven wins, five have come by way of knockout.
Both of these fighters have the ability to knock out one another at any given point in this fight. With that said, both have great durability and have a hell of a chin on them. Being as this fight is as close as it gets, I am looking to play it safe and bet that this fight goes to a decision.
| The Fight Analyst’s Pick |
|---|
| Culibao vs. Baghdasaryan Goes The Distance -145 |