Cejudo vs. Moraes: UFC 238 Odds and Predictions
UFC 238 has two title fights, headlined by Henry Cejudo vs. Marlon Moraes. The main card is expected to begin at 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view. Here’s a look at it and the Sports Interaction odds. To learn more, check out our guide to betting on UFC fights.
Henry Cejudo (14-2) vs. Marlon Moraes (22-5-1)
Division: Bantamweight
UFC Odds: Moraes -120, Cejudo -110
Prediction: Cejudo by decision
This is for the bantamweight title as there currently isn’t a champion in the division. It used to be T.J. Dillashaw, but in January he dropped down to flyweight to fight Cejudo for that title too. Cejudo won by TKO in just 32 seconds, and afterward Dillashaw tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs (not exactly rare in the UFC) and relinquished his belt. Not like he was being noble there because the UFC was going to strip it anyways, and Dillashaw has been suspended two years.
Cejudo, who won a gold medal in freestyle wrestling at the 2008 Olympics for Team USA, had actually planned to move up to bantamweight – like he’s doing here – and then fight Dillashaw again and take his belt. The 32-year-old Cejudo is on a four-fight winning streak, with eight of his 14 victories by decision. Moraes has called Cejudo’s win over Dillashaw a “fluke.” The former World Series of Fighting bantamweight champion is riding his own four-fight win streak and is the No. 1 ranked contender in the division. Moraes, from Brazil, has won 10 of his bouts by KO/TKO.
Valentina Shevchenko (16-3) vs. Jessica Eye (14-6)
Division: Women’s flyweight
UFC Odds: Shevchenko -1035, Eye +575
Prediction: Shevchenko by submission
Shevchenko, from Peru, puts her women’s flyweight title on the line. Shevchenko has two losses since moving to the UFC and both are to current women’s bantamweight champion and pound-for-pound queen Amanda Nunes. Those two fought for the bantamweight title in 2017 and Shevchenko came up short via split decision. She moved to flyweight after that and won the crown with a victory over Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 231 by unanimous decision. Eye, an American, has won three straight fights but has generally lost to every big-name opponent thus far in her career. That’s why she’s such a big underdog.
Tony Ferguson (25-3) vs. Donald Cerrone (36-11)
Division: Lightweight
UFC Odds: Ferguson -150, Cerrone +120
Prediction: Ferguson by KO/TKO
Ferguson is a former interim lightweight champion, which he won in 2017 by beating Kevin Lee. Ferguson was scheduled to face Khabib Nurmagomedov for the lightweight championship in April 2018 but was forced to withdraw due to a knee injury. Ferguson also was offered an interim lightweight title fight against Max Holloway in April, but Ferguson was unavailable due to personal issues. He’s on an 11-fight winning streak, last in the Octagon at UFC 229 vs. Anthony Pettis. Very quick turnaround for Cerrone as he just fought May 4 and beat Al Iaquinta by unanimous decision in Ottawa. Cerrone has the record for most victories in the UFC with 23.
Jimmie Rivera (22-3) vs. Petr Yan (12-1)
Division: Bantamweight
UFC Odds: Yan -360, Rivera +250
Prediction: Yan by decision
Rivera is ranked No. 7 in the bantamweight division. He has lost two of his past three, however, by first-round knockout to Moraes at UFC 228 last June and by unanimous decision to Aljamian Sterling in February. A whopping 73 per cent of Rivera’s victories are by decision. Yan, a Russian, is still a bit of an unknown in the division as he has been in the UFC for just four fights. He’s ranked No. 9 and comes off a unanimous decision win over John Dodson in February. Dodson fought Rivera last September and Rivera won by unanimous decision.
Tai Tuivasa (10-1) vs. Blagoy Ivanov (17-2)
Division: Heavyweight
UFC Odds: Tuivasa -160, Ivanov +125
Prediction: Tuivasa by KO/TKO
Tuivasa is an Aussie who comes off his first loss, by second-round TKO (punches) to former heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos back in December in Australia. Tuivasa called that result “embarrassing” and made some lifestyle changes. He’s the No. 11 ranked heavyweight. Ivanov is 13th and the Bulgarian also has a recent loss to dos Santos, coming by unanimous decision last July. Ivanov bounced back with a unanimous decision win over Ben Rothwell in March.
