Once again we have another UFC event out of the Apex Centre to give us our weekly MMA fix. Headlining the card, we have Pedro Munhoz taking on Frankie Edgar, with the latter moving down to Bantamweight after three failed bids for UFC gold. Also on the card is the explosive pair of Alonso Menifield against Ovince Saint Preux as well as a couple of up and coming female fighters. Let’s take a look at some of the key fights below.
UFC Fight Night Betting Tips
Pedro Munhoz vs Frankie Edgar
Firstly, Frankie Edgar moves down to Bantamweight for this fight after losing his last two at Featherweight, all be it to the Korean Zombie and Max Holloway. His opponent, Pedro Munhoz, has real power in his hands and is crafty on the mat. He disposed of Cody Garbrandt in a swing off before being thoroughly outclassed by top contender Aljamain Sterling in his last fight which showcased his weakness, being his gas tank. The real question I have here is does Edgar still have his world class durability that has resulted in his career success to date. If his chin is starting to fade, Munhoz will likely put him away.
However, the big factor here is the fitness and speed differential that Frankie Edgar has. If he can survive the early fire and get into the latter rounds, he can come away victorious as Munhoz has shown a tendancy to fade after the second round. It also is worth mentioning I am not sold that Edgar can make the weight as at 38 years of age it is a massive ask for him to move down and make the 135-pound limit. I am going to tentatively tip Edgar to win this either by a late stoppage on a fading Munhoz or to get the decision victory.
Edgar in Round 4, 5 or Decision
$4.20
Ovince Saint Preux vs Alonzo Menifield
This co main event is fascinating as both men are as explosive as each other and can get a finish in an instant. I was against both in their last fights correctly as both were neutralised and controlled against the fence. OSP could get the KO but should look to get it to the ground and aim to get his favourite von flue choke. I like Saint Preux’s chances to get a submission here especially as Menifield fades after round 1. If OSP lasts the first round heat Menifield will throw at him expect him to put away a tiring Menifield.
Saint Preux by Submission
$5.50
Ike Villanueva vs Jorge Gonzalez
Ike Villanueva knocked out Roger Navarez to gain the Fury FC Light Heavyweight title before defending it against former UFC fighter Rashad Coulter. He then moved up to Heavyweight for his UFC debut which turned out to be a poor decision, being knocked out by Chase Sherman in the second round. He moves back down to Light Heavyweight to face Jorge Gonzalez who makes his UFC debut here. Gonzalez has made his career by swinging his way to victory yet that should prove his downfall here. Villanueva’s hand speed, head movement and counter punching suits to dismantle Gonzalez’s style perfectly and he should be able to pick him apart before getting the finish in his second UFC fight.
Multi
Mizuki Inoue ($1.67) and Mariya Agapova ($1.08)
Inoue although only just getting through Yanan Wu in her UFC debut has fought some real tough opposition to date and should be able to handle the raw Lemos. Inoue has that box to shoot style and although she failed to get her last fight to the mat, Lemos’ takedown defense won’t survive 3 rounds to keep this standing, especially since Inoue is moving down to Flyweight for this fight. Even if it did stay standing, Inoue is efficient enough to win the stand-up battle as she is technically the stronger fighter. The second leg of my women’s multi comes in the form of Mariya Agapova who I expect to be a title contender very soon. She is better than Dobson in every facet of MMA and should prove this with a dominant win. Nothing can ever be for certain in MMA but Agapova winning this is as close as you can get to a certainty against Dobson who has a 3-4 record and is 1-3 in the UFC in which her one win came to a fighter who looked like she just quit during the fight.
