UFC Fight Night 172 Picks That You Should Spend Your Rainy Day Fund On
Back again with some more fight picks for this Saturday. I wrote a blog post on Tuesday for UFC Fight Night 171. I went 2-1 on the blog and 3-4 overall from the podcast I recorded. Not the best, but if you used the picks from the blog, you should have won some money. I'll be breaking down 3 fights from the podcast I recorded yesterday, which has 7 picks total. Now buckle up, and get prepared for some money making madness.
Song Yadong -200 vs Marlon Vera +160
This fight is between 2 fighters trying to crack the top 10 of the bantamweight rankings. First, you have number 14 Song Yadong. He's 4-0-1 in the UFC with 3 Stoppages, 2 by Knockout. He’s a fast paced striker that really packs a punch. It's almost like he has cement in his hands the way he drops people. He definitely has a lot of career left considering he's only 22.
He's going up against number 15 Marlon “Chito” Vera. Vera has had 13 fights in the UFC with 9 wins and 8 Stoppages. He's on a 5 fight win streak and looking better than ever.
I'm confused by the line of this fight. Do the oddsmakers know something I don't? Yadong is unproven, while Vera is getting better and has way more experience. Vera is definitely the choice here. He can finish you wherever the fight goes.
Edson Barboza -145 vs Dan Ige +115
Edson Barboza has been a staple of the 155 pound since 2010. He was ranked in the top 10 for the majority of those years, but could never get over the hump to get a title fight. He's the epitome of a human weapon and can knock you out in several different ways. His speed and perfect technique has helped him get some of the craziest knockouts in UFC history.
He's making his 145 debut after losing 4 of his last 5 fights at 155. Barboza has not had the easiest time making weight and moving down a weight will make it exponentially harder. He will be the bigger fighter however in most fights at his new division, but will he be able to overcome his Achilles heel? He can't seem to get past a good wrestler.
Dan Ige was signed to the UFC back in 2017, and since then he's gone 5-1 with 5 straight wins. He has great wrestling and a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He also has incredible cardio. I expect him to put a pace on Barboza with relentless pressure.
Barboza is the favorite because of his pedigree at lightweight, and if he can open up his striking arsenal, it could be a short night for Ige. Their is a lot of unknowns for this fight. One being, will Barboza be able to overcome the extreme weight cut for this weight class? I'm taking Ige because he's a live dog at +115. In the fighy makes it to the 3rd round, Ige will still be as fresh as the 1st round, while Barboza will be incredibly gassed.
Walt Harris -150 vs Alistair Overeem +120
Walt Harris Is 6-5 in the UFC with 1 No Contest because of testing positive for a banned substance. He's currently riding a 2 fight winning streak, but hasn't fought since July of last year because of the tragedy that his family dealt with. He's a very athletic and powerful fighter, which is definitely an advantage at Heavyweight.
Alistair Overeem has had a incredible career in combat sports. He's been a champion in 2 different promotions and a K1 Grand Prix winner, which featured the best kickboxers that competed in a 1 night tournament. He's not just a good striker either. Out of his 45 wins in his MMA career, he's had 17 submissions, 23 knockouts, and only 5 decisions. He definitely at the back-end of his career, but is still ranked 6th in the heavyweight division.
The only advantage Walt Harris has in this fight is his Athleticism. If Overeem can avoid the blitz from Harris that will be early in the fight, he should coast to an easy victory. A victory by Knockout +205, or by submission +700 are also good bets for Overeem.
Their ya have it. These are some of my picks for Saturday. To get the rest of my picks, listen to the latest episode of The Gambling Goosecast. Which is right here ⬇️.