Derek Brunson vs Dricus du Plessis: UFC 285 Odds, Prediction
The 29-year-old South African remained undefeated in the octagon with a third-round submission victory over Darren Till at UFC 282 that earned him his second performance bonus in three outings, and bolstered his position at No. 10 in the rankings. Brunson has been idle since suffering a crushing second-round KO loss at the hands of Jared Cannonier 13 months ago at UFC 271, snapping a five-fight win streak, but remains pegged as the No. 5 contender among UFC middleweights.
Brunson’s long layoff has not helped him on the UFC 285 odds, where he lags as a +165 underdog while du Plessis is perched as a -220 favourite. The odds of this fight going OVER 1.5 rounds are pegged at -140.
Derek Brunson UFC 285 Odds
Brunson returns to the octagon following a lengthy layoff that was extended by an arm injury that forced him to withdraw from a scheduled clash with Jack Hermansson last December at UFC Orlando. The 39-year-old has been a UFC fixture since joining the promotion back in 2012, and sits among the all-time UFC middleweight leaders in wins, finishes, KO/TKO’s, takedowns, knockdowns, and control time.
An accomplished wrestler who earned NCAA All-American honours on three occasions during a storied collegiate career, Brunson also sports impressive striking power, illustrated by his 12 career knockout victories. However, he has steadily evolved his fight game over the years, with three of his past five victories coming by decision.
Dricus du Plessis UFC 285 Odds
A rising star in the UFC middleweight division, du Plessis has an opportunity to make a quantum leap in the rankings if he can turn in another dominating performance on Saturday night. “Stllknocks” sealed the fate of Darren Till, who was released by the UFC this week, forcing the Englishman to tap out. That victory marked du Plessis’ 10th win by submission in 20 career contests. However, the 29-year-old also sports potent striking ability. He needed just 3:22 to knock out Markus Perez in his UFC debut at UFC Fight Island 5, and earned a Performance of the Night bonus for his highlight reel KO win over Trevin Giles in the second round of their date at UFC 264.
UFC 285 Prediction: Who Will Win Derek Brunson vs Dricus du Plessis?
Saturday night’s date with Brunson represents du Plessis’ toughest test since joining the UFC. However, the big stage is nothing new for the Stillknocks, who won the EFC welterweight and middleweight titles and the KSW welterweight crown before stepping up to the UFC. While finishing a wily veteran like Brunson may be too much to ask, look for du Plessis’ rise to continue with another win in Saturday’s clash.
Prediction: du Plessis by points or technical decision (+350)
