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UFC Fight Night Betting Predictions, Odds & Previews
Going to bet on UFC 178 Preliminary Card thsi Saturday? Here what US sportsbooks have to say. Odds, predictions and our preveiws. Get free bets bonus offers in NJ, Indiana, PA, Colorado, Illinois.
UFC Fight Night Preliminary Card Predictions
Mayra Bueno Silva vs. Mara Romero Borella
Mara Romero Borella will fight for the third time this year when she takes on Brazilian upstart Mayra Bueno Silva, who is hoping to bounce back from her first career defeat last time out.
Fighting often isn’t a tactic that’s worked out for Borella, who has lost in four of her last five fixtures and suffered three straight defeats coming to Las Vegas.
The Italian is an understandable +195 underdog with Sugarhouse NJ, while Silva looks like safe money at -250 despite losing to Maryna Moroz in her last fight.
Not only has Borella got more accustomed to losing of late, but she’s also forming a habit in not making it to the final bell. Four of the six career finishes she’s suffered came in the first 18 months of her professional career (2014-15), but she’s since been TKO’d (by Lauren Murphy) and submitted (by Cortney Casey) in the past year.
Silva likes to come out firing against her opponents before seeking to impose her will on the ground looking for a submission, and Borella doesn’t appear as though she’s in the form to stop her.
Mayra Bueno Silva (-250) vs. Mara Romero Borella (+195) Prediction: Silva via submission
Jordan Espinosa vs. David Dvorak
A handful of Czech contenders have migrated into the UFC circuit from other promotions in recent years, and David Dvorak is among the latest causing a stir in the flyweight division.
The “Undertaker” (18-3) started his mixed martial arts career with three losses in his first seven fights but has since gone 14 undefeated, and Jordan Espinosa has been tasked with stopping the European’s rampage in Vegas.
This is the only bout on Saturday’s card in which both fighters sit at negative odds, per bet365 NJ Sports, meaning it may not be the biggest money-maker to hand.
That being said, Dvorak could still represent the value pick at -106—just ahead of Espinosa’s -118 odds—after debuting in the UFC with a unanimous-decision win over Bruno Silva back in March.
Espinosa (15-7) has won two of his four fights in the UFC, but his two defeats (to Matt Schnell and Alex Perez) have both come via submission. Dvorak is a capable stand-up fighter but has shown a favor towards the rear-naked choke during his 14-win streak and could seek to exploit what appears to be a chink in Espinosa’s armor.
Jordan Espinosa (-118) vs. David Dvorak (-106) Prediction: Dvorak via submission
Jessica-Rose Clark vs. Sarah Alpar
It’s been more than a year since Sarah Alpar won on Dana White’s Contender Series to earn her ticket to the UFC, but only now is she set to make her debut against Jessica-Rose Clark.
Several cancelled bouts have delayed the date, but Alpar’s induction into the UFC rankings will finally come, and against an opponent who has lost her last two fights, both via unanimous decision.
That slide hasn’t stopped William Hill USA sportsbook propping Clark as the -200 front-runner against a foe who has won three in a row. Neither fighter has been extremely active in recent years and makes it difficult to get a read, though Clark’s experience in the UFC (and a three-inch reach advantage) has to count for something.
Interestingly, Pointsbet tempts at +233 for this fight to not go the distance, which can always be considered a possibility when one fighter is making their official debut at this level.
Jessica-Rose Clark (-200) vs. Sarah Alpar (+160) Prediction: Clark via decision
Journey Newson vs. Randy Costa
The form guide makes for a relatively short read when Journey Newson takes on Randy Costa, the pair of whom have only 17 professional fights between them.
Amid the uncertainty, a short matchup between these two looks more than likely considering Costa (5-1) has fought to a second round only once in his career to date, while Newson has six finishes from nine overall wins.
Newson, 31, made an unsuccessful debut in the UFC when he lost to Ricardo Ramos via unanimous decision back in June 2019. Costa has been inactive for a similar period and was last in action when he beat Boston Salmon with a first-round knockout in October last year (almost one year to the day before Saturday’s card).
The margins are tight in this clash, meaning stand-up specialist Costa could be the more appealing selection at +110 with Borgata Sports for New Jersey customers. Newson has been installed as the -137 leader, though his performance against Ramos showed holes in his game to be exposed, and Costa could be liable to take advantage.
Journey Newson (-137) vs. Randy Costa (+110) Prediction: Costa via decision
Andre Ewell vs. Irwin Rivera
Andre Ewell will attempt to win back-to-back UFC fights for the first time in his career on Saturday when he faces Irwin Rivera, with both combatants looking to make their way into the bantamweight rankings.
It’s a quick return for Rivera (10-5), who is set for his third UFC fight despite only debuting with the promotion in May this year. He lost that bout to Giga Chikadze but returned in August to edge Ali AlQaisi via split decision, and he’s now ready to return a little more than one month later.
Ewell (16-6) has had five fights in the UFC—three wins, two losses—and most recently defeated Jonathan Martinez by split decision in February. He opens at -210 with FOX BET while Rivera settles for underdog’s odds at +165, with the more experienced fighter getting a lot of sway in this one.
Ewell has seven career knockouts to his record, though none of those have come in the UFC where all three of his victories have been handed out by the judges. Rivera strung together a flurry of finishes before leaving Titan FC for the big show, but Ewell’s eight-inch reach surplusA gives him too great an advantage on paper.
Andre Ewell vs. Irwin Rivera Prediction: Ewell via decision
Darrick Minner vs. T.J. Laramie
A featherweight fight between emerging prospect T.J. Laramie and grizzled veteran Darrick Minner will open Saturday’s UFC card, and it’s the up-and-comer who’s been given the bookies’ backing ahead of time.
Laramie (12-3) may be only 22 years of age, but the youngster already has 15 bouts under his belt and has won the last four. The most recent of those saw the doctor step in to stop his defeat of Daniel Swain on Dana White’s Contender Series in August, an impressive display of what he’s capable of in the striking department.
Minner (24-11) already had his UFC debut in February and fared badly in a second-round submission defeat to Grant Dawson, another rising talent in MMA’s leading promotion.
“The Truth” looks every bit worth the hype despite losing three times early in his career, with BetMGM pricing him as the -275 favorite and Minner far behind at +210.
New Jersey customers can still hope to make money off that price as part of a parlay, though Minner shouldn’t be discounted altogether considering he has 20 submission wins to his name.
Darrick Minner (+210) vs. T.J. Laramie (-275) Prediction: Laramie via KO/TKO
