UFC 244 looks set to be action-packed and fans of MMA from around the world are preparing to tune in to the action from Madison Square Garden in New York City.
The main fight sees Jorge Masvidal lock horns with Nate Diaz in what is billed as the “Baddest Motherfu**er” (BMF) battle, a fight Bovada’s UFC odds suggest will go the way of Masvidal. Learn how you can grab a $250 bonus at Bovada, here.
When Nate Diaz won his first fight in three years with a unanimous decision over Anthony Pettis at UFC 241 he proclaimed to be the “baddest motherfu**er in the game” and issued a challenge to Jorge Masvidal. UFC President Dana White ran with the tongue-in-cheek announcement, booked the fight and confirmed the BMF belt will be delivered to the winner of this bout.
Diaz looked back to his best when he defeated former Lightweight champion Pettis in August. We predicted that UFC 241 fight could have gone either way and opted for Pettis based on the fact Diaz had not fought since losing his rematch against Conor McGregor. Diaz was an underdog in that fight and his UFC 244 odds of +135 make him the underdog in this bout too.
The 34-year-old showed no signs of being rusty in the ring as he ran out a deserved winner against Pettis but you cannot help but think Diaz’s best days are behind him. Four of his 11 career losses have come in his last eight fights and Masvidal has returned to form in scintillating style. Diaz shouted his mouth off and challenged Masvidal to this contest, but we think he may have bitten off more than he can chew.
Masvidal has not been as active as in previous years but his two fights in 2019, his first since UFC 217 back in November 2017, have seen him look extremely dangerous. Masvidal knocked out Darren Till in London in March, the second round knockout earning Masvidal the “Performance of the Night” and “Fight of the Night.”
In July, at UFC 239, Masvidal knocked out Ben Askren with a flying knee after only five-seconds, earning the Performance of the Night and the fastest ever knockout in the history of UFC.
Perhaps slightly worrying for Masvidal is he is giving up height, weight and reach advantage against Diaz. Masvidal was rocked a couple of times against Till and Diaz is the better boxer of those two fighters. Masvidal is going to need a strong defense and be able to get in close if he is to justify his -165 UFC betting odds.
Our UFC picks for this contest is a narrow Masvidal win, but do not write off Diaz’s chances. He knows that a victory here could set up a third clash with Conor McGregor who is meant to be starting his own comeback trail. Exciting times.
British fighter Darren Till has what it takes to be the first name down on everyone’s UFC picks despite losing his previous two fights. Till had been struggling to make the 170lbs weight and it was painful to watch, stepping up to 185lbs seems like the only logical solution.
Till lost to Tyron Woodley at UFC 228 when he had to submit to Woodley’s D’Arce choke. He was then knocked out in brutal style against Masvidal, leading to some experts questioning Till’s chin.
That last part is worrying because Kelvin Gastelum has the power to stop 185lbs men dead in their tracks, but he himself is reeling after a defeat to Israel Adesanya at UFC 236, which we predicted right here at Sports Betting Sites.
It should be an interesting contest to say the least because the fighters have conflicting styles. Till is a superb counter-puncher while Gastelum likes to ut on forward pressure and close the distance with his precision boxing.
Should Till manage to catch him with a powerful counter, those +145 betting odds will look like a bargain.
Bookmakers rarely get their betting odds wrong but we think they may have done in the Derrick Lewis versus Blagoy Ivanov fight. Ivanov is the -130 favorite compared to the +100 on Lewis.
Lewis enjoyed a superb punches knockout victory against Alexander Volkov at UFC 229 but then fell to back-to-back defeats, including losing to Daniel Cormier for the UFC Heavyweight championship.
Ivanov is a talented fighter in his own right and one who should not be underestimated, but Lewis should be too classy for the Bulgarian and that’s why the +100 on Lewis looks great value.
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About the Author
As a devout aficionado of sports, Chris Boline has carved a career within the athletic realm. A skilled scribe, he boasts a decade-long portfolio that encompasses coverage of the NBA G League, the Los Angeles Chargers, football and basketball across the country. Beyond his professional pursuits, Chris is deeply invested in his community and dedicates his leisure hours to serving on boards, collaborating with community organizations, and cherishing the company of loved ones. CURRENTLY Business Development and freelance sports writing RESIDES IN Reno, NV EDUCATION University of Nevada BS and MBA EXPERTISE -Sports writing proficiency in: NFL, NBA, UFC, boxing, golf, and some motor sports -Topical news -Promotional and marketing ideas/updates -Business development Summary Chris Boline serves in a business development sales capacity as his day job. He has previously held sales/marketing positions with The Applied Companies (TAC), KTVN 2 News and the NBA G League’s Reno Bighorns, affiliate of the Sacramento Kings. He is a Reno native and is a member of various community boards including the Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, NCET and the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA). Chris graduated from the University of Nevada in 2015 with a bachelors in management and economics and also earned his MBA from Nevada in 2023. More about Chris: Past president of the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA) 2022-23 Two-time honoree for University of Nevada Alumni Chapter of the Year (Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, 2017 & COBAA, 2021) 2021 NCET award for Professional Services Organization of the Year with TAC Northern Nevada Human Resources Association 2020 Best Places to Work-Northern Nevada, Second Place with TAC 2016-17 Reno Bighorns MVP from the Sacramento Kings The Nevada Sagebrush editor-in-chief 2013-15 Associated Collegiate Press 2015 Four-year Non-daily Newspaper Pacemaker honoree University of Nevada, Reno College of Business Dean's List honoree (5x) from 2011-2015 Nevada Press Association award for Best Sports Column – Community in 2015 Education
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