Holloway Vs. Aldo 2: UFC 218 Main Card Odds and Predictions
It’s strong weekend for mixed martial arts betting at Sports Interaction. On Friday, it’s the finale of “The Ultimate Fighter 26” as well as a Bellator 189 card. But the marquee event is clearly Saturday’s UFC 218 event from Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. The five-fight main card is expected to begin at 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view. Here’s a look at those bouts and their MMA odds.
Max Holloway vs. Jose Aldo
Records: Holloway (18-3), Aldo (26-3)
Division: Featherweight
UFC Odds: Holloway -250, Aldo +195
Prediction: Holloway by KO/TKO
Holloway puts his featherweight title on the line in a rematch against Aldo, once considered perhaps the greatest featherweight champion in UFC history. Back in early June, Holloway, an American, took the title from the 31-year-old Brazilian Aldo by third-round TKO (punches). One interesting facet of that bout was Aldo throwing very few leg kicks – that’s considered to be his most devastating weapon. After the loss, Aldo’s camp claimed its fighter had suffered a leg injury in training.
Holloway, needless to say, didn’t take kindly to that excuse, calling it “cowardly.” It was the second loss in the past three fights for Aldo, who had 18 straight prior to that. Holloway, ranked the No. 4 pound-for-pound fighter by the UFC, has won his past 11 since a loss to Conor McGregor (who also beat Aldo) in 2013. Originally, Frankie Edgar was to be Holloway’s opponent on this card, but Edgar had to pull out due to injury. Aldo was more than happy to get another shot, even on a bit of short notice.
Alistair Overeem vs. Francis Ngannou
Records: Overeem (43-15), Ngannou (10-1)
Division: Heavyweight
UFC Odds: Ngannou -240, Overeem +175
Prediction: Ngannou by KO/TKO
Could be a changing of the guard fight here, with the winner expected to get a shot at heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic. The former champion Overeem, 37, lost a title fight to Miocic by first-round knockout in September 2016. The Dutchman, however, has bounced back with wins over Mark Hunt (third-round KO) and Fabricio Werdum (majority decision).
Ngannou, 31 and from Cameroon, is considered a rising star in the division and ranked fourth. “The Predator” has won his past nine fights and none of his 11 career have even reached the third round. He was last in the Octagon in January against Andre Arlovski and won by first-round TKO – Ngannou’s third first-round victory in a row. He was scheduled to face former champion Junior dos Santos in September, but dos Santos failed a drug test.
Henry Cejudo vs. Sergio Pettis
Records: Cejudo (11-2), Pettis (16-2)
Division: Flyweight
UFC Odds: Cejudo -255, Pettis +215
Prediction: Pettis by decision
It’s a matchup of American flyweights, with Cejudo ranked No. 2 in the division and Pettis No. 4. The champion is UFC pound-for-pound king Demetrious Johnson, and the winner Saturday could face Johnson next. Cejudo was a gold medalist in wrestling for the USA in the 2008 Olympics. Unfortunately, he lost that medal while staying in a Santa Rosa, Calif., hotel during those devastating northern California wildfires in October as fire engulfed his hotel. Cejudo was lucky to escape alive himself, jumping out of his second-story balcony. He suffered some minor injures in the ordeal.
Cejudo and Pettis were to originally fight at UFC 211, but Cejudo had to pull out with a hand injury. He did fight in September, ending a two-bout losing streak with a second-round TKO of Wilson Reis. Pettis has won four in a row, last by decision over Brandon Moreno in August.
Eddie Alvarez vs. Justin Gaethje
Records: Alvarez (28-5), Gaethje (18-0)
Division: Lightweight
UFC Odds: Gaethje -175, Alvarez +155
Prediction: Gaethje by KO/TKO
Don’t be surprised if this it the most action-packed (or dirtiest) fight of the night – in fact, Alvarez says the title of “UFC’s most violent man” is up for grabs. The 33-year-old Alvarez won the lightweight title in July 2016 with a first-round victory over Rafael dos Anjos. However, Alvarez lost that belt in a one-sided defeat to Conor McGregor in November 2016 and last time out his bout against Dustin Poirier in May was ruled a no contest because Alvarez delivered some accidental knees to Poirier’s head while Poirier was on the ground. Poirier believed it was intentional, but the referee disagreed.
Gaethje is a former World Series of Fighting champion. The 29-year-old made his UFC debut in July with a second-round TKO win over Michael Johnson.
Tecia Torres vs. Michelle Waterson
Records: Torres (9-1), Waterson (14-5)
Division: Women’s strawweight
UFC Odds: Torres -185, Waterson +140
Prediction: Torres by decision
These two Americans are fighting in an attempt to climb the strawweight rankings and get a title shot – the belt is currently held by Rose Namajunas. She already has beaten both of these fighters in the UFC, taking out Waterson by second-round submission this past April and Torres by unanimous decision in April 2016. However, Torres did beat Namajunas in July 2013 in Invicta FC.
Torres has won her past two fights, beating Julian Lima in July by submission last time out. That was the first fight not to go the distance for “the Tiny Tornado.” Waterson, whose “the Karate Hottie” nickname is one of the better ones in MMA, hasn’t fought since her loss to Namajunas. Torres is ranked fifth in the division and Waterson sixth.