UFC makes its way to Atlantic City this weekend as we continue to countdown to UFC 300. Saturday's card features 14 fights, headlined by women's flyweights Erin Blanchfield and Manon Fiorot.
Let's place some best bets before Saturday's card kicks off at 7 PM EST. Best of luck, fight fans!
Malkoun has shown that he does a lot of things well to get him to decision wins. He uses his boxing to land damage before he changes levels to bank control time.
With Andre Petroski having knockout power, Malkoun's game plan should remain the same. He's the better wrestler, so much expect him to make this one ugly to secure his fourth decision win.
I'm aware that both fighters have shown red flags in their recent performances, but I'm willing to take the risk on Njokuani's at this price after making the 170 weight limit on his first attempt Friday morning.
Njokuani is on a three-fight losing streak to talented guys who are miles ahead of Rhys McKee. McKee has a long frame, and he's known for his durability, but he's never faced someone with the power and striking skills that Njokuani has.
Combine that with his poor defense, and I think we see a finish inside of two rounds for Njokuani.
Bill Ageo has all the tools to come away with a win against Kyle Nelson. He's a great striker with solid cardio and should even have the advantage on the ground if the fight were to go there.
Nelson has had a recent resurgence after two straight wins, but he won't be able to match the damage or volume Ageo should put out in their matchup. I like Ageo to win by decision or late stoppage.
Bruno Silva will look to send Chris Weidman into retirement on Saturday. Weidman deserves all the credit for his comeback after breaking his leg in 2021, but his first fight back against Brad Tavares showed that he may be a step behind the younger, more active guys in the middleweight division today.
Tavares chopped Weidman down with heavy leg kicks on his way to a decision victory last year, and I expect Silva to do the same.
If not, Silva is in play for a stoppage, with 20 of his 23 wins coming from TKO and 6 of Weidman's 7 losses coming from the same method.
Our main event features a classic wrestler vs striker matchup. Manon Fiorot will be Blanchfield's toughest test yet, but the longer this one goes, the more it should favor Blanchfield.
Expect Fiorot to land early before Blanchfield is able to close the gap and take Fiorot down. As soon as Blanchfield is able to time Fiorot's kicks, she should be able to get this to the mat where she has been dominant.
I like Blanchfield to take this one by sub or decision in Round 2 or later.