UFC Atlanta Odds, Prediction: Cody Garbrandt vs. Raoni Barcelos

Raoni Barcelos returns to action after claiming a unanimous decision win over Payton Talbott last January at UFC 311, lifting his pro MMA record to 19-5, with eight of those wins coming by decision. Cody Garbrandt has been idle since suffering a second-round submission defeat at the hands of Deiveson Figueiredo 14 months ago at UFC 300, ending his first two-fight win streak since 2016.

Barcelos is perched as a -200 favourite on the UFC Atlanta odds. Barcelos trails as a +165 underdog and the odds of this fight going the distance are pegged at -110.

Cody Garbrandt UFC Atlanta Odds

It has been almost eight years since Cody Garbrandt lost the UFC bantamweight strap in his first title defence versus TJ Dillashaw and the 33-year-old American has never truly rebounded. “No Love” followed up his title win with three straight losses and has fallen to defeat in six of his past nine octagon appearances including five losses by KO/TKO and tapping out once.

However, Garbrandt gives as hard as he gets, and showed flashes of his past glory with an impressive KO victory just 3:42 into his clash with Brian Kelleher at UFC 296. The big question now is how big an impact the long layoff will have on Garbrandt, who twice withdraw from schedule dates with Miles John for undisclosed reasons late last year.

Raoni Barcelos UFC Atlanta Odds

After posting wins in his first five UFC fights, Raoni Barcelos fell on hard times, losing four of his five subsequent bouts before rebounding with recent wins over Payton Talbott and Cristian Quiñonez. Now set to enter the octagon to face the highest profile opponent of his UFC career, Barcelos has a chance to bury the memory of that swoon and make a case for cracking the UFC bantamweight rankings.

The 38-year-old Brazilian brings plenty of experience into this contest. The former RFA featherweight champion turned in a dominating performance in his recent victory over Talbott, outstriking his opponent by a 62-49 margin to go along with eight takedowns and two submission attempts that earned him a unanimous nod from the judges. And despite his recent struggles, Barcelos has proven to be hard to finish, suffering just one KO loss and one submission loss over his lengthy career, which would receive a big boost with a decisive win over Garbrandt.

UFC Atlanta Prediction: Cody Garbrandt vs Raoni Barcelos

It is tough to back Garbrandt, considering his recent sketchy results, inactivity, and inexplicable decision to back out of recent fights. But if the former champ is fit, he may still possess the ability to finish opponents early. The challenge against when levels change in his date with Barcelos, who will make up for what he lacks in pure skill with wily experience.

Prediction: Barcelos by submission (+400)