UFC Vegas 97 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. Read more UFC Vegas 97 three best moneyline bets.
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 -125
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Andre Petroski (11-3) vs Dylan Budka (7-3)
Looking to continue distancing himself from the unfortunate self KO loss to Malkoun in March, Petroski picked up a dominant win over Josh Fremd in July. His BJJ black belt mixed with his wrestling makes him a menace to deal with when fights hit the mat. Striking is not his strong suit, but he makes up for it by throwing with vicious intent to close the distance and change levels for a takedown.
Normally bullying his opponents to victory, Budka stumbled in his UFC debut as he was unable to control Almeida, who eventually finished him in the second round once Budka blew his gas tank. Budka comes from a wrestling background, but it does not seem to be translating to the MMA game that well, especially when he faces experienced and well-rounded opponents.
Although chalky, Petroski should have no issue in this fight. Whether you don’t mind playing chalk or if you’re looking for a parlay piece, Petroski can fill that need. Look for him to utilize his BJJ advantage to put Budka in bad spots, then find the submission victory.
The Pick: Andre Petroski -250
Felipe dos Santos (8-1) vs Andre Lima (9-0)
A valiant short notice UFC debut effort against Manel Kape put dos Santos on the map for many people. He followed that up with a razor close split decision win over Altamirano back in February, and now hopes to take the 0 from an undefeated foe. A training partner of former lightweight champion, Charles Oliveira, dos Santos brings the same aggression with his striking and BJJ approach.
Lima is a nasty kickboxer who has battered recent opponents and now finds himself 2-0 with the UFC. He chews the lead leg of his opponents with a constant barrage of kicks and seems to deter his opponents with the power in which he lands. There were a few sticky situations he managed to get himself out of, but that will only get more challenging as he continues taking steps up in competition.
dos Santos has the perfect style and striking level to be competitive with Lima on the feet. Where I think dos Santos can set himself apart is in grappling. I’m expecting dos Santos to lean on the grappling often, mixing it well behind his striking attacks. Dos Santos is one of my favorite underdogs on the entire card, maybe even sprinkling his submission prop at +1200 would prove fruitful.
