UFC Seattle Three Best Moneyline Bets
Nursulton Ruziboev (34-9-2) vs Eric McConico (9-2-1)
Returning to the middleweight division, Ruziboev is looking to forget his last fight which was a decision loss to Joaquin Buckley. Buckley was able to muzzle Ruziboev with consistent takedowns and smothering top control. Ruziboev likes to be aggressive in the striking realm by walking his opponents down and putting power on them but doesn’t have much else to offer. Read more UFC Seattle three best moneyline bets.
Originally scheduled to compete for a different promotion last weekend, McConico gets the call up to the UFC on short notice but is luckily still in shape and ready to take this plunge. McConico is a product of The MMA Lab and has a great group of training partners to have him ready for this opportunity. He is a BJJ brown belt but does not mind throwing hands if that’s what it takes.
We often see short notice replacements as big underdogs because people are not familiar with them and just assume they are being brought in so the UFC vet can still compete and get an easy win. That is not the case here, as I believe there is value on McConico. He has the discipline and skills to muzzle Ruziboev, just as Buckley did, and remaining safe over 15 minutes to pull off the upset.
The Pick: Eric McConico +235
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Nikolay Veretennikov (12-5) vs Austin Vanderford (12-2)
Turning 35 back in December, Veretennikov is looking to notch his first UFC victory in his sophomore trip to the Octagon. Last time he came up short against Danny Barlow, but the fight played out much closer than the odds indicated. Veretennikov is a solid all-around fighter, but I’m not certain he has what it takes to get to the next level.
It’s been a long road for Vanderford, but the stars have aligned for him to get this short notice UFC debut opportunity close to a place he once called home. Vanderford has competed for the Bellator middleweight title in the past and only come up short against some of the best that Bellator had to offer.
Vanderford opened as a near 2-to-1 underdog in this fight but has been bet down to a near pick ‘em. It will not surprise me if he closes as the favorite. This looks to be a great spot for him to mix his grappling and his power striking to keep Veretennikov on the defensive. If Vanderford’s durability holds up, he should be successful in his first UFC fight.
The Pick: Austin Vanderford +100
Ion Cutelaba (18-10-1) vs Ibo Aslan (14-1)
Cutelaba is one of the more inconsistent fighters on the roster, coming in with a 7-9-1 UFC record, but most importantly coming off a victory over Ivan Erslan. It’s clear he is learning how to mix his power striking and grappling to produce decent results for him, but now it’s about doing it more consistently to build up some momentum.
Aslan is a physically imposing and athletic specimen who has largely gotten away with squashing his competition quickly. He has avenged his lone defeat and finds himself on a six-fight winning streak. His defensive grappling is still a big question mark as is his cardio, at least when he fights legit opposition.
This could be a quick car crash, or the veteran experience of Cutelaba could shine through for him here as he puts Aslan through the grinder. Without a doubt, the veteran is worth a shot as underdog odds to spring the upset against a guy that still has many questions to answer at this level.
