UFC Saudi Arabia Three Best Moneyline Bets
Muhammad Naimov (11-2) vs Felipe Lima (12-1)
Since joining the UFC on short notice last year, Naimov has rattled off three straight victories. In my opinion, all three of those wins have asterisks attached to them for various reasons. He is a solid wrestler, with good strength, power shots, and a decent ability to control opponents on the mat. Cardio has been an issue for him in the past, which is something the two opponents who defeated him were able to exploit. Read UFC Saudi Arabia three best moneyline bets below.
Lima jumps in on short notice as the current bantamweight champion of a high-level European organization. Scheduled to defend that title in July, Lima jumped at the opportunity to join the biggest promotion in the world and was granted it by his former bosses.
He trains out of the same gym as Khamzat Chimaev and Guram Kutateladze and showcases just as great of a skillset. From slick striking, to smothering grappling, this kid will be a real problem when he gets a full training camp down at his natural weight class.
Even coming in on short notice, I feel Lima is the better fighter. The only hold up I have keeping me from complete confidence in this matchup is the size advantage Naimov could hold here. Regardless, I trust in Lima’s training, skillset, and all-around advantages here to still pull off the victory. It will be competitive early, but I expect Lima to start pulling away in the second and third rounds.
The Pick: Felipe Lima -110
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Johnny Walker (21-8) vs Volkan Oezdemir (19-7)
From 2019-2022, Walker was in a real slump. Going 1-4 over the course of 5 fights, it seemed like he was on his way out of the promotion. Luckily, he managed to get his mental right, start following proper gameplans, and ended up on a three-fight winning streak. Unfortunately, he was then fed to Magomed Ankalaev, who many see as the uncrowned champion.
Walker is clearly very competitive still, especially when he is not just head hunting. Managing his power, footwork, and offense over 15 minutes has proven successful for him.
Post-covid-era Oezdemir has put together a 2-3 record, most recently coming off a victory over the debuting Bogdan Guskov. He leaned on his grappling a little more that night and pulled off the second submission victory of his career. A lot of that was stemming from the success he had on the feet with his striking, which is the best part of his game. P
lodding forward, stalking his opponents, Oezdemir looks for openings to knock his opponents out or down to assert his dominance.
This should be a fun battle between two tested UFC veterans, but I must give the slight nod here to Walker. He carries the speed, athleticism, and power advantage that I think will make or break this fight. Oezdemir can put his lights out, but Walker has shown in his recent run that he can be disciplined, patient, and cerebral in his attack, a trait that will benefit him here.
The Pick: Johnny Walker -110
Shara Magomedov (12-0) vs Antonio Trocoli (12-3)
Everyone’s favorite one-eyed menacing Russian makes his return to the cage after a successful UFC debut in October. Throwing a variety of kicks, utilizing a ton of lateral movement, Magomedov brings an undefeated record to the cage and a very entertaining style of fighting.
His takedown defense clearly needs work, especially after seeing how a striker like Bruno Silva was easily able to take him to the mat without much resistance. If he can shore up that aspect of his game, who knows what his ceiling could be, especially with the popularity he already brings to the promotion.
Trocoli has had one of the most thrilling roller coaster rides on route to the UFC. From winning on the Contender Series in 2020 to being cut to going back to the regional scene to being signed on short notice, and the tale continues. Recently he was signed to fight last weekend against Ikram Aliskerov, but Aliskerov was pulled from the card to headline this card.
Magomedov ends up losing his opponent and opens the door for Trocoli to step in and hopefully make his UFC debut. Coming in at a towering 6’5” with an 82” reach, he is on the bigger side of the middleweight division. He often looks to use his size to bully opponents to the mat and dominate them from there. His inactivity as of late is a concern, but he could show some promise.
The Intrigue
This is an intriguing matchup, but one that I feel the line is just far too wide. Mix in Magomedov’s popularity with the short notice nature of this fight for Trocoli, I can slightly understand why the line is where it is.
However, as bettors, it is on us to recognize these inefficiencies and try to take advantage. Trocoli has the grappling chops to cause Magomedov issues, just as we saw Bruno Silva do last time. I don’t expect Trocoli to settle for guard and allow Magomedov to land consistent damage off his back. Trocoli should look to advance to more dominant positions and eventually find a finish. Even a small sprinkle at +500 is worth it to fade the hype.
