Keep your diaries free on December 14th if you are a fan of MMA because UFC 245 at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada is not to be missed.
There’s an action-packed card with some incredible fights and our UFC 245 picks will help you win some money while watching the action.
Reigning UFC Welterweight champion Kamaru Usman goes into his title defense against Colby Covington as with UFC 245 Vegas odds of -175, making his the clear favorite to retain his title.
The 32-year-old who hails from Nigeria is a phenomenal talent and definitely worthy of his favorite tag. Usman has won his previous 14 fights, including defeating Tyron Woodley by unanimous decision at UFC 235 to secure the UFC Welterweight championship.
Usman boasts of a 15-1 record, the only blot on his otherwise perfect career being a submission defeat in his second fight before he joined the UFC. Usman is one of the most dangerous men in the welterweight division and his UFC odds of -175 reflect this.
His main strength is exactly that, his immense strength. Wrestling is his best weapon thanks to his impressive cardio and power. Against Tyron Woodly, himself a fantastic wrestler, Usman overpowered him and destroyed his game plan on his way to winning the title.
Colby Covington, who you can get UFC 245 odds of +145 at Bovada where you can claim a $250 bonus, is probably the most difficult fighter Usman has faced in his career so far. Covington is a character you either love or hate because of his trash-talking; he trash talks everyone all the time. The thing is though, he has the skills to back up his mouth and is not to be underestimated.
The self-proclaimed “super villain” of the UFC has the same 15-1 professional record as Usman. Only two of Covington’s victories have come by knockout, with five via submission and eight by decision.
Covington’s best chance of victory against Usman will be to stay off the ground and let his superior boxing skills do the talking. That said, he is also a very good wrestler, but not as good as Usman.
This fight is closer than the odds suggest. We don’t believe there will be an early stoppage in this clash, it is a fight that is likely to go the distance with Usman retaining his title, but do not be surprised if Covintong leaves Las Vegas with a belt around his waist.
We are big fans of Max Holloway here at SBS and correctly predicted he would defend his title against Frankie Edgar at UFC 240. We’re making the same prediction, a Holloway victory at -175, when he takes on Alexander Volkanovski on December 14th.
Holloway’s victory over Edgar was his third successful title defense. We love watching Holloway fight because he is a very complex striker. He can box both in or outside the pocket and has one of the most-dangerous spinning back kicks in the entire UFC.
He always lands plenty of strikes and is averaging over 400 strikes per fight in his last four battles. Imagine being hit over 400 times per fight, not many people can sustain that damage.
Another thing in Holloway’s arsenal is his high takedown defense. He is going to need to continue this because Volkanovski is a far superior fighter on the ground, Holloway’s only real weakness.
Volkanovski is another fighter who lands a high percentage and his kickboxer-wrestler style is difficult to combat. One major advantage Volkanovski has is his incredible 71.5 inch reach despite only being five-foot six-inches tall. He’ll need every inch of that reach to stop Holloway.
Volkanovski is definitely one of the most dangerous fighters Holloway has faced in his career but Holloway is just too crafty for the 31-year-old Australian and we fully expect Holloway to walk away with his championship belt around his waist.
Amanda Nunes is a massive -310 favorite to win her fight against challenger Germaine De Randamie who major sportsbooks price at +240. Nunes is by far the better fighter and that is reflected in her super short UFC betting odds, but De Randmaie is no pushover.
The smart money is going on Nunes and rightly so because there is no fighter like her on the ground. If she gets De Randamie on the floor it is goodnight and game over, but she has to get her opponent on the ground first.
There is some value in the +240 available on De Randamie because he has the power to knockout Nunes. If, and it is a big if, she can keep off the ground she has every chance of causing a major upset.
See below the top sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
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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