Bryce Mitchell vs. Said Nurmagomedov: UFC Fight Night Picks
The UFC returns this weekend following a thrilling UFC 318 card that saw Max Holloway issue Dustin Poirier a loss heading into retirement. This weekend, the promotion packs its bags and heads abroad to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates for an afternoon card that's loaded with fun fights. Below, I'll dive into three of the bouts, including the main event between Robert Whittaker (No. 5) and Reinier de Ridder (No. 12), from a sports betting perspective and let you know my top three UFC Fight Night picks for Bryce Mitchell vs. Said Nurmagomedov.
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UFC Fight Night Picks: Bryce Mitchell vs. Said Nurmagomedov
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Bryce Mitchell (-130) vs. Said Nurmagomedov (+110)
I'll head to the preliminary card finale for my final bet of this Fight Night card, as Bryce Mitchell drops to Bantamweight to take on unranked Said Nurmagomedov. The American is 17-4-0 professionally, while Nurmagomedov, who's a slim +110 underdog, enters the contest at 18-4-0. This is the second-tightest fight on the card from an odds perspective, behind only the Asu Almabayev (-115) vs. Jose Ochoa (-105) fight.
Seeing Mitchell at 135 pounds should be interesting. In theory, being a naturally bigger fighter at a lower weight should give him an advantage. Mitchell's a tried-and-true wrestler, and he's going to lean on his grappling once again this weekend.
With that said, I'm not very confident he's going to ragdoll Nurmagomedov, who is an International Master of Sport in amateur MMA. He boasts a 62% takedown defense rate and has seen one-third of his 18 professional wins come via submission. If Nurmagomedov can keep this fight upright, he should have no issue handling Mitchell.
We've seen too many holes in Thug Nasty's game recently for me to back him in this spot. Abu Dhabi has also acted as a "home away from home" for Dagestani fighters over the last several years. All things considered, I'll take a +110 flier on Nurmagomedov.
Bet: Said Nurmagomedov Moneyline (+110)