After a solid 8-3 week on the previous card headlined by Rodriguez and Lemos, we are treated to a stacked UFC PPV card, headlined by a much anticipated bout between Israel Adesanya and his former foe Alex Pereira. It is poised to be a great night of fights from top to bottom, these are my best picks of the week!

BEST BET #1 | Erin Blanchfield H2H @$1.28 

Feeling really confident in a short favorite on this card and she will be a fixture in this week's PHTB Parlay. Erin Blanchfield has an extremely high ceiling at just 23 years old, she is a blackbelt from New Jersey that is dominant in her grappling approach, and she has the platform to rise through the ranks against the streaking Molly McCann. 

McCann is in knockout form as of late and has established herself as a star within women’s MMA. She has power in her strikes and will be confident in her skillset, but I believe Erin will be able to close the distance and get this fight to the ground repeatedly.

Erin’s strength and positional knowledge is astounding for her age. She is in a prominent position on this stacked card, and I believe she will capitalize with a massive victory over a big name.

BEST BET #2 | Brad Riddell H2H @$2.05

From a pure value perspective, I believe we are getting a steal this week in Brad Riddell at plus money. He is on a two fight losing skid against savages in Rafael Fiziev and Jalin Turner, both men cemented within the rankings, whereas he draws an unranked veteran this weekend in Renato Moicano.

Moicano has some quick hands, but is renowned for his work on the ground. His BJJ is very slick and poses threats to Brad. However, Brad’s wrestling is coming together and he certainly has the technique and power advantage over Renato. I believe Brad can shut down Renato’s grappling attempts, and have a lot of success on the feet.

BEST BET #3 | Israel Adesanya H2H @$1.58

It is not often that we see a dominant champion like Israel Adesanya with 5 title defenses matched up against a middleweight with a 6-1 MMA record (3-0 UFC). The challenger certainly poses challenges to the champion, with two victories over Adesanya in kickboxing, but Mixed Martial Arts is a different sport.

Israel has never landed takedown throughout his UFC tenure, but based on his rapid progression in all facets of MMA through intense training with his CKB teammates, I believe he can implement a new wrinkle to his repertoire to show Alex that this is not a kickboxing match. But Israel is also petty and uber competitive, he had a lot more success in those kickboxing bouts than critics give him credit for, so do not be surprised if Adesanya outclasses him on the feet.

Israel has been under the spotlight due to a recent decision streak, but this fight has high stakes due to their history which typically brings the best out of the champion. This matchup draws parallels to the fiery Paolo Costa encounter, which is arguably Israel’s best performance to date. He performs best under the spotlight, one he is certainly in under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden, where I expect him to shine.

Overs or Unders

Thanks for tuning in once again, I hope you all enjoy the fights this weekend! If you are having a bet this weekend make sure you do your own research and gamble responsibly.