The UFC in Vegas 35: Edson Barboza vs. Giga Chikadze main card UFC Odds are available. Read on for our complete betting guide and preview on this weekend’s favorite matchups, including updated odds and our free expert UFC betting predictions.
UFC Featherweight Main Event Bout
Saturday, August 28, 2021 – 11:55 PM EDT the Apex Centre
The UFC’s featherweight contenders return to the centre stage this weekend, as #56 ranked Edson Barboza will attempt to derail the eight-fight win streak of Georgian native Giga Chikadze. 32-year-old Giga Chikadze owns an unblemished record since joining the UFC in 2019, and he’s remained highly active with a six-zero record. Giga stems from a background in kickboxing, which makes for an idealistic matchup with his opponent; this weekend, he also enjoys a striking matchup during his MMA contents.
Edson Barboza is undoubtedly a future legend of the sport. The Brazilian has been providing entertainment value for the UFC since 2010, and he currently owns a 22-9-0 professional record. If a perfect striking matchup were to be made, I think the Ultimate Fighting Championship has delivered the goods for this weekend’s main event. MMA fans, prepare yourself for a technical striking masterclass between two of the featherweight divisions most formidable opponents.
We’re going to witness the Muay Thai background of Barboza be tested, but he can certainly overcome the opposition through close range boxing and Muay Thai plum clinch work. Barboza’s Muay Thai offense allows him to unitize various tools that Giga doesn’t perform as well, including elbows, knees, and boxing when inside the pocket or in the clinch. However, I do believe that Barboza is also the more versed grappler of the two, and could certainly catch Giga off-guard with the use of trips & takedowns.
Giga does his best work at range, letting of his punches at kicks at a preferred distance. Should he avoid the potential grappling and clinch attempts from the Brazilian, a significant threat will be voided. Although its not as simple as it sounds, Barboza throws some of the nastiest leg kicks and straight shots in the game, as well as a mixture of spinning attacks and counter strikes. With that said, a kickboxing style match is obviously going to be Giga’s easiest path to victory, it’s just extremely difficult anticipating which fighter will be the victor.
I think both men will be tentative for the first ten minutes, pacing yourself across a five-round fight is imperative in case the kill-shot doesn’t land. And let’s be honest, predicting how far the fight will go is much simpler than throwing a dart at the winner.
UFC Best Bet: Fight starts round 3 at -210 with BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
UFC The Ultimate Fighter 29: Team Ortega vs. Team Volkanovski Middleweight Final
Saturday, August 28, 2021 - 10:00 PM EDT at the Apex Centre
This summer saw the return of UFC’s The Ultimate Fighter reality show, where some of the greatest unsigned talents compete for the rights to earn a UFC contract. Unfortunately, the middleweight final took a blow when the heaviest hitter of the show, Treseasn Gore, had to withdraw from the contest. His replacement, Gilbert Urbina, was knocked out by Tresean in the semi-finals and will now face the 8th pick of team Volkanovski in the final.
Onto the most underrated fighter of the show, Bryan Battle. When team Ortega was dominating the show’s early episodes, Bryan Battle was the first contestant for Team Volkanovski to collect a win. In a turn of events, Team Volkanovski wiped out Team Ortega, and Tresean was the only remaining member of Team Ortega until the disappointing withdrawal.
A lot can be said for Battle, including a notion like ’don’t underestimate the underdog’, and now he’ll face a man in Urbina who suffered a brutal knockout. Battle is intense in the clinch, owns some great kicks at range, and he owns the heart of a lion. His skills and underdog mentality give me a great reason to believe he’ll become the Ultimate Fighter this weekend.
UFC Best Bet: Bryan Battle to win at-160 with BetOnline
*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.