Conor who?! The UFC doesn’t need that Conor McGregor guy, as after he pulled out of this Saturday’s UFC 303 pay-per-view due to a broken toe, they’ve arguably built an even stronger fight card in his absence. And a fight card we’re going to make money on. Here are my UFC 303 predictions and best bets.
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UFC 303 Predictions & Best Bets
Alex Pereira (-142) vs. Jiri Prochazka
Saturday’s makeshift main event is for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship, as the man the promotion calls on in times of need, champion Alex Pereira, puts his gold on the line against former champ Jiri Prochazka in a rematch.
While I’m not big on rematches, this one will at least be fun. Both men are dangerous strikers, able to end a fight in the blink of an eye. The difference is Pereira is much more controlled and technical than the wildman Prochazka is. I expect Pereira to catch Prochazka making a mistake on the feet and finish him, just like he did at UFC 295 in November.
Diego Lopes (-142) vs. Brian Ortega
Our co-main event is a matchup between top featherweights Diego Lopes and Brian Ortega. And I’m going with the up-and-comer in Lopes to beat former two-time title challenger Ortega.
Both men are solid grapplers, but Ortega is on another level on the ground. However, Lopes is far more dangerous on the feet and is a very good scrambler on the ground. He’s finished three straight opponents, and while Saturday will be his toughest test yet, I think he passes it.
Roman Dolidze (-140) vs. Anthony Smith
Jahamal Hill vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. became Jahamal Hill vs. Carlos Ulberg, which became Anthony Smith vs. Carlos Ulberg, which became Anthony Smith vs. Roman Dolidze. Sometimes, these things happen in MMA.
Despite the short-notice nature of this fight and the fact that he’s fighting up a weight class, I really like Dolidze to take care of Smith here. Smith has no chin left, and Dolidze can really crack, so Dolidze via T/KO at +275 could be a steal.
Ian Machado Garry (-145) vs. Michael Page
This card still has some Irish flavor on it, despite McGregor’s absence. Ian Machado Garry is 14-0 and living up to his ‘The Future’ nickname, and will be opening Saturday’s pay-per-view portion of UFC 303.
We’re getting a great line on him versus striker Michael Page. Not only is Garry 10 years his junior but he’s also shown to be elusive and safe on the feet. He can also take Page to the ground and turn this into a grappling match.
Cub Swanson (+200) vs. Andre Fili
We’ll end things with a big underdog. In a matchup of two grizzled featherweights, Cub Swanson and Andre Fili, I was quite surprised to see Swanson show up as such a big underdog. But I like it.
Swanson, despite his many previous wars, hasn’t shown much of a dip in his performances in the cage. And Fili is coming off a knockout loss, which is not good news going up against a guy that hits like Cub does. Swanson via T/KO at +550 if you want to get fancy.
If you’d like even more information on UFC 303, be sure to check out the MMA Gambling Podcast. The guys are dropping five episodes weekly to make you the smartest guy at the bar.
