The UFC heads back on the road for another big card this weekend. They head down to Brazil for a fun lightweight main event between Charles Oliveira and Mateusz Gamrot. The fight is sure to have title implications in a division that needs some new challengers. This UFC Rio card is loaded up with incredible fights with some great spots to look for some high-value MMA bets, picks, and predictions.
In today’s column, we’re looking for the best play on the entire slate of prelim fights for you to exploit. Come check out our best bet for these UFC Rio prelims.
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Prelim Pick of the Week: UFC Rio
UFC Heavyweight Fight: Valter Walker vs Mohammed Usman
Start Time: Saturday (10/11) 4:00pm EST (ESPN+)
Valter Walker comes into Saturday’s action with three straight victories inside the Octagon. Each one of them comes by way of heel hook, which puts him in a league of his own. That skill is what sets him apart from other heavyweights. He has unreal submissions skills and can most handle himself on the feet.
Now he’ll step in there with another famous UFC brother – Mohammed Usman. We’ve seen Usman have some issues with takedowns in the past. His last loss came against Thomas Peterson, at least partially due to the number of takedowns that he allowed. He’s posting just a 66% takedown defense, which means that he’s likely to allow this fight down the mat at least once on Saturday.
Walker has only needed this fight to get to the ground four times to get three submissions. So if this does hit the mat, it might be over before it even starts. While there’s a bit of chalk on that side, there is plenty of value on the Walker moneyline here.
UFC Rio Prelim Pick: Valter Walker ML (-300)
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