UFC 299: Three Best Moneyline Bets
Michel Pereira (29-11) vs Michal Oleksiejczuk (19-6)
With back-to-back fights now at 185 lbs, Pereira is looking to put his weight cutting issues behind him and fight at a more comfortable weight. He is riding a six-fight winning streak, but he needs to build momentum after having a few fights with top welterweight Stephen Thompson fall through.
We know his unorthodox, flashy striking style always has fans entertained, but the question is how far he can take this and can he eventually earn himself a title shot.
Now 3-1 down at middleweight, Oleksieczjuk is looking to get some momentum rolling so he can start working his way into the rankings. His all-gas, no-brakes style is always a treat to watch.
He stays in his opponents face and does not let them off the hook. Durability has been a big calling card for Oleksiejczuk as he has been able to walk through some big shots from his opponents while still getting off on his own volume. His opponents normally fold sooner than later, unable to keep up with the high activity style of the Pole.
This fight will be tough early for Oleksiejczuk with Pereira’s speed and power advantage, but as the fight starts dragging into deeper waters, I expect Oleksiejczuk to start wearing on the gas tank of Pereira.
Every shot he lands, especially to the body, will slow the Brazilian down, opening spots for Oleksiejczuk to overwhelm him. If we can weather the early storm, this underdog price will look amazing in the second round.
The Pick: Michal Oleksiejczuk +125
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Ion Cutelaba (17-9-1) vs Philipe Lins (17-5)
This will be the second opportunity for Cutelaba to successfully put together a two-fight winning streak, if he can get his hand raised this weekend. Last time he knocked out Tanner Boser in the first round, showcasing that power style he is known for. He has tried using his wrestling background to little success; thus, he has decided to go back to trying to knock his opponent’s head into orbit.
Since dropping down to light heavyweight, Lins is a clean 3-0. He put on an all-around great performance last time around against Maxim Grishin, especially when he was able to rough him up in the clinch.
Lins has deceiving power but the ability to grind fights out and go a full 15 minutes if he needs to. He has a PFL tournament championship on his mantle already, he hopes to keep trudging on towards a UFC championship.
These two were scheduled to throw down back in October, but an illness on fight day knocked Lins off the card. Now they are hoping to be locked in the cage this weekend, but my prediction has yet to change.
I feel Lins is the better overall fighter here and his durability should be good enough to crash the pocket even if he must eat a few shots.
It will open his ability to grind Cutelaba on the cage, maybe even drag him to the mat where he can do more damage. Lins has way more paths to victory here and I’m surprised we are getting underdog odds on him.
The Pick: Philipe Lins +100
Curtis Blaydes (17-4) vs Jailton Almeida (20-2)
Looking to bounce back from another knockout loss, Blaydes is always a fighter that will find himself lingering amongst the top 5 of the heavyweight division.
His wrestling is some of the best the division has ever seen, yet when he faces someone with a ton of power, he is unable to make it to see the scorecards. The top control and entries are great, but he seems to have a momentary lapse in judgement that forces him to freeze and allow his opponent to land a big shot.
One of the hottest prospects on the scene, Almeida will be looking to add the most credible name to his win column this weekend. Almeida normally looks to drag his opponents to the ground and smash them from top position.
He does a solid job of opening submission opportunities, but he also does not mind dropping ground and pound for the stoppage.
Almeida was previously a light heavyweight, but due to a lack of opponents willing to face him, he has been competing at heavyweight so he can take fights whenever he can rather than focusing on dieting year-round.
This is the true test most have been waiting to see Almeida pass before we give him championship potential. Unfortunately for Almeida, he’s facing a better wrestler who should be able to keep this fight upright.
Almeida is also not a fighter that threatens much with one-punch knockout power, which leads me to believe we can see Blaydes be comfortable in almost any position in the cage. Where he will be best is landing the takedown and wearing on Almeida from top position. Blaydes may be the dog by fight time, but I expect him to get his hand raised.
