Nunes vs Spencer headlines UFC 250 this Sunday which is the second card out of the UFC Apex Centre. Away from the title fight we also have the return of Cody Garbrandt against Raphael Assuncao as well as a Bantamweight clash that will likely yield the next title challenger. There are a few decent propositions on this card that haven’t quite made the cut for my best selections, but are worth mentioning. Sean O’Malley really should be too good and likely racks up another KO on his record. It also looks unlikely that Garbrandt vs Assuncao goes the distance with either Garbrandt’s patience and power on show or Assuncao’s counter striking making Garbrandt pay, if he fights like he has in his last couple of outings. You could also do worse than Gerald Meerschaert who has a big reach advantage and in a fight that is likely to go the distance, so he should be up on the judge’s scorecards come the end of the fight. Now onto the main UFC betting tips for UFC 250.
UFC 250 Betting Tips
Amanda Nunes vs Felicia Spencer
There is no doubt, as it currently stands, that Amanda Nunes is the best female MMA fighter in history and therefore it is a steep task for Spencer to overcome the Lioness. Due to this, it is no surprise the double champ is the biggest favourite on the card as she aims to be the first woman to defend a title in two weight divisions.
Felicia Spencer has won two of her last three fights, both wins coming in the first round and her only defeat, a game one to Cris Cyborg. While the Cyborg defeat showed her heart and tenacity, she was still out struck 122 significant strikes to 38 in that fight, and she failed to take Cyborg down in all eight attempts. Should I mention it only took Nunes 51 seconds to KO Cyborg in their meeting, and although putting too much on MMA maths is dangerous, it does pretty much sum up the fight in this instance. When you are as dominant as Nunes, it is hard to find a match up to get hyped about, much like Jon Jones of a few years ago. Nunes’ power is something Spencer has never felt and the Lioness is also a better grappler than Cyborg who Spencer failed to get to the mat. The only hope for Felicia is to survive the opening round onslaught and make a tiring Nunes pay. Nunes did show vulnerability in later rounds against Germaine de Randamie, but realistically she is still a class above Spencer and I find it hard to believe Spencer lasts long enough for Nunes’ gas tank to really be even a query. I only see this going one way and that is an easy and dominant victory for the champ.
Amanda Nunes by KO or Submission
$1.57
Neil Magny vs Anthony Rocco Martin
This is a little bit of a soft ball for Magny with no disrespect to Rocco Martin. Magny has been a top level fighter in Welterweight division for numerous years now but it was only in his last fight against Li Jingliang where he really looked to have taken his game to the next level. Magny has wins over Jonny Hendricks and Carlos Condit on his resume and after his impressive win in his last fight, he should prove too good for Rocco Martin on the feet where this fight will likely play out. This is by far the best striker Rocco Martin has faced and it could be a long night for him.
Chase Hooper vs Alex Caceres
As a fan of jujitsu I am immediately drawn to Chase Hooper and he looked incredibly slick when he got his UFC debut to the mat, making easy work of Daniel Teymur. Alex Caceres is a step up but does not have the skill set to make the fresh Hooper pay for his lack of wrestling and striking defense. Caceres has only a single KO to his name and has been taken down an average of two times in his last three fights so it looks a matter of when not if the fight gets to the mat which benefits Hooper greatly. He has shown he can overcome adversity on DWCS and young Hooper should make it a 2-0 start to his UFC career.
Chase Hooper to Win
$1.62
Charles Byrd vs Maki Pitolo
While I believe Pitolo will be better than in his debut, he just showed way too many vulnerabilities to think he can beat Byrd here. Callan Potter, while tough, really isn’t UFC calibre and he was able to outstrike and outwrestle Pitolo, who came into his UFC debut with big hype. Byrd had Stuart on toast two fights back before getting complacent and being knocked out and a similar display, albeit for the 15 minutes, sees him too strong for Pitolo.
Charles Byrd to Win
$1.55
