The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, for the first Fight Night event on American soil with a live audience since 2020.
Let’s waste no time because the fight odds are now available for us to delve into some parlay UFC picks for UFC Fight Night 205. The event is headlined by heavyweight contenders Curtis Blaydes and Chris Daukaus; join us as we deliver the most carefully selected UFC to parlay betting predictions.
UFC Lightweight Main Card Bout
Saturday, March 26, 2022 – 10:00 PM EDT at Nationwide Arena
Marc Diakiese (14-5-0) was unfortunate to miss an opportunity to fight in front of a home crowd on last week’s UFC London card. Still, after competing on just two occasions post-pandemic, the Englishman will be delighted with an attempt at snapping a 2-fight losing streak in front of a packed arena in Columbus, Ohio.
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Viacheslav Borshchev (6-1-0) will make his UFC arena debut in the toughest way possible – under the spotlights of a packed venue versus a UFC veteran – but with a decorated kickboxing career behind him, he’s no stranger to putting on a show for the crowd.
Borshchev has been competing as a professional mixed martial artist for just three years; however, he’s previously competed in professional boxing and kickboxing bouts which soon becomes evident when his devastating hand speed and power are on display.
With over 200 fights to his name, 30-year-old Borshchev often displays a striking masterclass. The obvious red flag is the takedown defense of the Russian.
Still, throughout his short MMA career, he's proven that his ability to get back to a standing position is present – particularly during his Dana White Contender Series coming out party, where he finished a heavily touted prospect in Chris Duncan.
Effortless switching between boxing inside the pocket and kickboxing at range eventually led to a step-back left check hook that ended Duncan’s night.
Read More: UFC Fight Night 205 Prop Betting Picks: The Perfect Proposition
Borshchev made his promotional debut versus Dakota Bush; again, he was forced to utilize an evolving takedown defense and get up game that’s being carefully honed at the Team Alpha Male gym alongside some of the world's most talented grapplers.
Following another war of nutrition, liver shots, beautiful technical boxing, and a striking intelligence worthy of any fight fan's time, Borshchev ended Bush’s night with a left hook to the mid-section.
Diakiese is no slouch, with a robust kickboxing offense of his own. With that said, I believe the UFC has an exceptional talent on their hands with Borshchev, and I expect another spectacular KO/TKO stoppage.
The available UFC odds with Bookmakers Review are fair, but they’re still aware of Borshchev’s talents and have placed him as a -160 favorite.
UFC Pick: Borshchev (-160) with Heritage Sports
UFC Heavyweight Bout
Saturday, March 26, 2022 - 10:00 PM EDT at Nationwide Arena
Curtis Blaydes (15-3-0) doesn’t require an extensive introduction because Chicago’s heavyweight star is the UFC heavyweight division's most talented offensive wrestler with a 10-3 record for the promotion.
Chris Daukaus (12-4-0) burst into the UFC top-15 heavyweight rankings with an impressive 4-fight win streak within one year of being hired by the company, until he met his match when suffering a knockout loss to Derrick Lewis in December 2021.
I genuinely believe that without the presence of Francis Ngannou (Who owns two knockout victories over Blaydes), we’d be looking at a top-3 ranked fighter or even the potential champion of the heavyweight division.
Blaydes has all the skills to become the division's greatest, aged just 31-years old; there’s still plenty of time to accomplish this goal.
Read More: UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Daukaus First Look, Betting Picks, Odds, and Predictions
Daukaus is tough, and Blaydes should avoid a stand-up war this Saturday, but that’s exactly what I believe he’ll do – avoid a striking exchange and hunt for the single or double leg takedown as soon as it presents itself.
The available betting odds with Bookmakers Review favor Blaydes for a good reason, his wrestling offense is elite, and I believe he’ll make good use of it this weekend.
UFC Pick: Blaydes (-390) with Heritage Sports
UFC Best Bet: Two-Legged Parlay (+106) [2.06] with Heritage Sports (visit our Heritage Sports Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.