We made it! We survived a week with no UFC on our screens on Saturday night. Things are back to normal this week, with the UFC running a Fight Night card at their UFC Apex facility in Las Vegas. While Bobby Green headlining a UFC card in the year 2023 wasn’t on our bingo cards, we’ll take it. Here are my UFC Vegas 80 predictions and best bets.
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UFC Vegas 80 Predictions & Best Bets
Grant Dawson (-400) vs. Bobby Green
The aforementioned Bobby Green isn’t being given much of a shot at winning, according to the bookmakers, and I have to agree. Grant Dawson is undefeated in the UFC (9-0-1) due to his relentless wrestling. While a decent grappler, Green would much rather stand and trade, but he’s likely going to end up on his back with the bigger, younger Dawson grinding away on top. If you want a spicier play here, take Dawson via submission at +135, as the chances he wears out Green on the ground and then submits him seem high.
Joe Pyfer (-400) vs. Abdul Razak Alhassan
Dana White is so high on Joe Pyfer that he set him up with rent money for a year when he was on the verge of being homeless after fighting on Dana White’s Contender Series. He’s paid off the investment in him by knocking out both of his UFC opponents. While the line makes it look like he has a gimme this week, Abdul Razak Alhassan is a dangerous knockout artist, so ‘Bodybagz’ needs to mind his p’s and q’s.
Joaquin Buckley (-165) vs. Alex Morono
The third fight from the top should be a banger. I’m going with Joaquin Buckley due to his power advantage (12 knockouts in 16 professional wins) and his willingness to grapple and wrestle. Plus, he’s four years younger than Alex Morono and has a four-inch reach advantage on him to land his power shots.
Drew Dober (-426) vs. Ricky Glenn
Both Drew Dober and Ricky Glenn are coming off of (T)KO losses in their last fight. However, Glenn does not hit like Dober does. Few do. Plus, Dober has won three of his last four, while Glen has only managed to have his hand raised once in that span (1-2-1). I think Dober will piece him up on the feet and finish him. Take Dober via (T)KO at -175 if you want a better line in this fight.
JJ Aldrich (+120) vs. Montana De La Rosa
I’m always touting the stat that short-notice fighters tend to lose (they only win 37% of the time), but I’m going against those odds in his fight, which is Saturday’s curtain-jerker. JJ Aldrich has had two weeks to prepare to face Montana De La Rosa in this women’s flyweight fight, but I think she’s too tough of a matchup, regardless of the shortened camp. Aldrich is a much better striker than De La Rosa, and her last four wins have all come against grapple-heavy fighters like De La Rosa.
If you’d like even more information on UFC Vegas 80, be sure to check out the MMA Gambling Podcast. The guys are dropping four episodes weekly to make you the smartest guy at the bar.
