UFC 220 Miocic vs. Ngannou Betting: Fight Card Odds and Predictions
We are only in the third week of January, but the UFC might have trouble staging a better card at the top in 2018 than UFC 220 on Saturday night from TD Garden in Boston. It’s headlined by a heavyweight title bout between champion Stipe Miocic and terrifying Francis Ngannou. 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.
UFC 220 Miocic vs. Ngannou Odds
Stipe Miocic vs. Francis Ngannou
Records: Miocic (17-2), Ngannou (11-1)
Division: Heavyweight
UFC Odds: Ngannou -160, Miocic +130
Prediction: Ngannou by KO/TKO
The American Miocic, 35, looks to make UFC history here by making a third straight successful defence of his heavyweight title – that’s never been done before. Miocic has won five fights in a row overall and took the belt from Fabricio Werdum by first-round knockout (punches) at UFC 198 in May 2016. Miocic then beat Alistair Overeem in September that year by first-round knockout (punches) and got revenge on former champion Junior dos Santos in May 2017 with a first-round TKO (punches). Dos Santos handed Miocic his last loss, back in December 2014. A total of 13 of Miocic’s 17 wins have come by KO/TKO.
Ngannou, a 31-year-old from Cameroon, could soon be the biggest name in the sport other than Conor McGregor, if McGregor ever fights again. “The Predator” simply has devastating power – think Mike Tyson in his prime. Ngannou has yet to see the third round in any of his fights, and his past four have all ended by either KO/TKO or submission within two minutes of the first round. Ngannou destroyed Overeem in December with a punch, and during his six fights in the UFC Ngannou has landed 1.83 knockdowns per 15 minutes, the highest rate among ranked heavyweights. Miocic, a former NCAA wrestler, will want this fight on the mat. He was last an underdog vs. Werdum.
Daniel Cormier vs. Volkan Oezdemir
Records: Cormier (19-1), Oezdemir (15-1)
Division: Light heavyweight
UFC Odds: Cormier -345, Oezdemir +245
Prediction: Cormier by submission
The champion Cormier, a 38-year-old American, comes off a knockout loss to Jon Jones, an all-time great, last July – only it eventually became a no contest because Jones flunked yet another drug test, likely ending his brilliant but checkered UFC career. Cormier, who was a solid underdog vs. Jones, was then reinstated as UFC’s official light-heavyweight champion. Jones did hand Cormier his last official loss at UFC 182 in January 2015. Like Ngannou a division above, the 28-year-old Oezdemir is considered a potential rising star. The Swiss is 3-0 since joining the UFC – underdog in all three — and comes off first-round knockouts (in less than a minute) of Jimi Manuwa and Misha Cirkunov. Oezdemir, who has a fitting nickname of “No Time,” has only been training MMA full time since 2015. His lone loss came on the mat against Kelly Anundson in April 2014 in Bellator. Cormier is one of UFC’s best on the ground with six of his wins by submission.
Calvin Kattar vs. Shane Burgos
Records: Kattar (17-2), Burgos (10-0)
Division: Featherweight
UFC Odds: Burgos -210, Kattar +160
Prediction: Kattar by decision
The 29-year-old Kattar will have the crowd hugely in his favor as he’s from the area and is nicknamed the “Boston Finisher.” Not sure how accurate that nickname is since only nine of his 17 wins are by KO/TKO or submission, but who are we to say? Kattar enters on a nine-fight winning streak and made his UFC debut last July with a unanimous decision victory over Andre Fili. It was the seventh straight win by decision for Kattar – just saying, that nickname. Burgos, a 26-year-old American, has won three straight by decision. Neither of these guys have fought a big-name opponent.
Gian Villante vs. Francimar Barroso
Records: Villante (15-9), Barroso (19-6)
Division: Light heavyweight
UFC Odds: Villante -190, Barroso +150
Prediction: Villante by KO/TKO
Villante is a 32-year-old from New York ranked 15th in the light-heavyweight division. He has lost two straight and four of his last six in the Octagon. He was on the wrong end of a split decision last July against Patrick Cummins. Ten of Villante’s 15 wins are by KO/TKO. Barroso, a 37-year-old from Brazil, has one win in his past four. He was a unanimous decision loser to Aleksandar Rakic last September.
Thomas Almeida vs. Rob Font
Records: Almeida (22-2), Font (14-3)
Division: Bantamweight
UFC Odds: Almeida -120, Font -110
Prediction: Almeida by decision
Almeida, 26 and from Brazil, is the No. 10-ranked fighter in the bantamweight division. That 22-2 record looks nice, but those two losses came in his past three fights – by unanimous decision to Jimmie Rivera and first-round knockout (punches) against Cody Garbrandt. When Almeida wins, it’s usually by KO/TKO with 17 of his 22 that way. Font, ranked 14th, is 30 and from Boston. He also comes off a loss, via guillotine choke submission last October vs. Pedro Munhoz. This is Font’s third attempt to defeat a ranked opponent, but he’s 0-2 so far.