The UFC enjoyed a return to ‘Fight Island’ last weekend and once again we have a fight card from the Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi. Former title holder Holly Holm faces off against the rampaging Irene Aldana in the main event. Also on the card is former champion in Germaine de Randamie as well as two Heavyweight knock out artists in Carlos Felipe and Yorgan De Castro. We dive into the best plays on the card below.
UFC on ESPN Betting Tips
Holly Holm vs Irene Aldana
It feels like a lifetime ago Holly Holm knocked out Ronda Rousey in what at the time was one of greatest upsets in UFC history. Multiple title shots later and ‘The Preachers Daughter’ while still showcasing solid kickboxing has largely failed to meet expectations. She is still incredibly strong in the clinch and can put you away if you get complacent or overly confident, but Holm lately has looked to have lost some of the speed and power she possessed a few years back. Her opponent Irene Aldana is 5-1 in her last six and while she came onto the scene as a brawler, lately she has sharpened her boxing and has looked measured in her attacks.
With not much in the way of contenders for Amanda Nunes, the winner of this fight could arguably be next in line. Holm has the edge in experience and for that reason I believe she will do enough to get the win on the judge’s scorecards. Holm has the reach advantage and should be able to come out on top of any clinch exchanges as well. If there is to be a finish, which I feel is unlikely, it may come in the way of an Aldana submission as she is quite skilful on the mat, however, I will play what is most likely and that is the fight to go the distance. A play on Holm to get the victory on the judges scorecards also looks a good play.
Value: Holm by Decision ($2.70)
Fight to go Distance
$1.47
Loma Lookboonme vs Jinh Yu Frey
Loma Lookboonme is still learning and with only six fights to her name it is crazy to think she has already fought twice in the UFC. Although she lost her last fight to Angela Hill, Lookboonme should bounce back to the winners list here. Frey lost her Octagon debut to the promising Kay Hansen who submitted her with little resistance. Lookboonme is small for the division but so is Frey which should be perfect for Loma who can outmuscle Frey and take this to the ground and dominate. Expect Lookboonme to earn a comfortable decision victory.
Kyler Phillips vs Cameron Else
What a wild but predictable this fight should be. Simply Kyler Phillips absolutely takes off Else’s head and fast. Kyler Phillips impressively scored a 46-second knockout in his Contender Series fight before losing in the Ultimate Fighter series by decision. He finally made his UFC debut beating Gabriel Silva by decision. He has five stoppage wins in his career, all of which have come in the first round and that should be six after this fight. Cameron Else has a 10-4 record but that record is just not accurate. Almost all his wins have come against fighters with a negative win record and he comes into this fight after getting six first round stoppages. That stat without context is astounding but when you dig deeper you see that it was against barely professional MMA fighters. To further put that into perspective, his most recent win was against a fighter who currently sports a 3-16 record. This is a ridiculous fight and Phillips will stop him likely in the first.
Value: By KO in 1st Round ($4.50)
