UFC Vegas 96 Three Best Moneyline Bets
Zygimantas Ramaska (9-2) vs Nathan Fletcher (8-1)
It was a very unfortunate circumstance for Ramaska as he was forced out of The Ultimate Fighter going into the semi-finals after he suffered too much damage in the opening bout of the season. Luckily, the UFC has given him another opportunity to make it to the big show. Ramaska is a warrior that loves to throw down and swing leather.
His ground game needs some work as he can be taken down and out-grappled. However, if he can keep fights in the striking realm, he is more than capable of thriving in chaos.
Fletcher came up short in his first fight on The Ultimate Fighter, seemingly due to a leg injury he suffered in the opening round. He managed to have glimpses of success, but he ended up losing to finalist, Kaan Ofli.
Training alongside Paddy Pimblett, Fletcher has long been seen as the next big thing out of that training camp. He is a menace on the ground with his BJJ and he has crushing top pressure which usually leads to a finish by submission or ground and pound.
I think Fletcher is the clear side here. Ramaska is dangerous in the striking realm, but I think he will struggle to get any distance to get off on his output. Look for Fletcher to get this fight to the mat quickly and find a finish soon after. A sprinkle on Round 1 Submission is not a bad play either.
The Pick: Nathan Fletcher -150
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Dennis Buzukja (12-4) vs Francis Marshall (7-2)
This slick striker picked up his first UFC win in three attempts as he out-struck and finished Connor Matthews earlier this year. Buzukja is at his best when he can establish a striking advantage and get into his groove. We’ve seen him attempt to use a grappling-centric style in the past to no avail, thus leaning on his striking would be the best path to victory for him.
Marshall is now on a two-fight losing streak after an emphatic UFC debut where he finished Marcelo Rojo. Deciding to change things up entirely, Marshall now finds himself training down at American Top Team with a room full of killers that will help him mold into a better fighter. Marshall is already a very good fighter with less than 10 fights, I expect him to only get better with the new coaching staff and guys like Grant Dawson taking him under their wing.
This is a short notice spot for Marshall, but I still believe it is a fight he shouldn’t have too much issues in. Buzukja may have a slight edge in the striking realm, but I think Marshall can remain competitive enough in the striking until he opens takedown and grappling opportunities. I expect Marshall to put together a better body of work to get his hand raised on the scorecards.
The Pick: Francis Marshall -140
Angela Hill (17-13) vs Tabatha Ricci (10-2)
After a tumultuous 1-5 run, Hill now finds herself on a 4-1 run. She is doing a great job of turning away fighters looking to crack into the top 10. Leaning heavily on her volume-striking approach, Hill is difficult to deal with when she utilizes her movement and striking. Last time out we saw her pick up her first ever victory by submission, showcasing that she is still looking to round out her skillset as she approaches 40.
Picking up a gutsy win over Tecia Pennington last time out, Ricci is garnering all the experience she needs to take herself to the next level. She has clearly improved since stepping foot in the Octagon for the first time, not just relying on her BJJ black belt and grappling anymore. It would be nice if she could muster up some more power with her shots to be a little more threatening there, but it’s impressive to see her round out the technical aspects of striking.
This should be a closely contested fight, but we’ve seen steady money coming in on Ricci over the last few days. Going from +100 to -125 and becoming the outright favorite shows the confidence that gamblers have in her, me included. I think she can mix the martial arts better than Hill here, hopefully taking most advantage of Hill on the mat and maybe even finding a submission.
