UFC 312 Three Best Moneyline Bets
Rongzhu (25-6) vs Kody Steele (7-0)
It was an unfortunate return to the UFC for Rongzhu when he was handed a loss by doctor stoppage due to his eye swelling shut in his last bout. Now he is dead set on returning to the win column by showcasing his defensive grappling improvements, and the striking that made him so dangerous in the first place.
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Steele is an intriguing prospect who is making his UFC debut after earning his contract through the Contender Series last season. Coming from a decorated BJJ background, Steele has improved his striking a good bit, allowing him to be comfortable enough against the competition he has already faced.
I’m surprised at the amount of love on Steele. I was not all that impressed with his ability to hold opponents down nor his takedowns, thus leading me to believe Rongzhu has a good enough shot at keeping this fight upright and battering Steele. Rongzhu is the superior striker, holds more power, and has over 4x the amount of MMA experience than Steele does.
The Pick: Rongzhu +205
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Tom Nolan (8-1) vs Viacheslav Borshchev (8-4-1)
Getting back into the win column last time around, it was encouraging to see Nolan go a hard 15 minutes and still come out on top. Normally he flatlines his opposition quickly and moves on to the next. He is a dangerous striker with solid power but has some issues with his striking defense that has gotten him in trouble a few times.
Borshchev is one of the more entertaining fighters on the roster because of his striking ability. Throwing effective combinations and targeting the body often allows ‘Slava Claus’ to exploit the openings that his opponents leave. Also training out of Team Alpha Male has helped him improve his defensive grappling enough to force opponents to strike with him.
It will be interesting to see who decides to shoot the first takedown. However, if neither does, this could go down as a fight of the night. I lean with the technical prowess of Borshchev. The striking defensive flaws in Nolan’s game screams to me that Borshchev will be able to find the counters and time them perfectly to put Nolan away.
The Pick: Viacheslav Borshchev -115
Zhang Weili (25-3) vs Tatiana Suarez (10-0)
Looking to defend her title for the third time in her second reign as champion, Zhang is looking to build upon her UFC 300 win over fellow countrywoman, Xiaonan Yan. Zhang is known for striking but has clearly improved the grappling aspects of her game throughout her UFC career.
Many point to Suarez as the uncrowned queen of the strawweight division. Unfortunately, her career has been riddled with injuries and issues keeping her out of the cage. Luckily, she gets her shot at gold this weekend. We could see the best skilled fight at this weight class between the two. Wrestling is the name of the game, but seeing the BJJ improvements from Suarez makes things even more interesting when she establishes dominant control.
Zhang could have some success with her striking advantage. I think it’s just a matter of time before Suarez wraps her up and drags her to the mat. At a certain point, Zhang will slip up. That will leave an opportunity for Suarez to snatch her neck and force the submission or put Zhang out cold. And New.
