PFL Battle of the Giants and UFC Vegas 99 Playing Preview: Will Francis Ngannou win his comeback combat?

It’s MMA double header this weekend as each the UFC and PFL are placing on occasions this Saturday. The most important (each actually and metaphorically) is PFL Battle of the Giants, that includes the return of Francis Ngannou as he faces Renan Ferreira. That occasion additionally options plenty of different marquee matchups together with Cris Cyborg vs. Larissa Pacheco and Johnny Eblen vs. Fabian Edwards 2, amongst others. Then the UFC offers followers an exquisite little nightcap with UFC Vegas 99, headlined by a middleweight matchup between Anthony Hernandez and Michel Pereira.

With a lot to select from, let’s dive proper into the bets this week.

All odds are courtesy of our pals at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Straight Bets

Larissa Pacheco (-148)

Cyborg vs. Pacheco is arguably one of the best combat of the complete weekend. That includes the No. 6 and No.7 ranked girls within the MMA Combating pound-for-pound rankings, it’s a bout that, on paper, ought to be distinctive. However I’m not satisfied.

Cyborg is an all-time nice however she’s additionally pushing 40 years previous and hasn’t regarded nice in years. Her final significant win was Julia Budd and that was again in 2020. Since then it’s been a parade of undersized or woefully overmatched opposition. Now to be truthful, Pacheco has had the identical problem, however the distinction between them is Pacheco at the very least is operating roughshod over that opposition.

On prime of that, Cyborg has appeared wildly disinterested all week, whereas that is the largest combat attainable for Pacheco. All this collectively makes me assume the youthful champion is in nice place to get her hand raised on Saturday.

A.J. McKee (-176)

McKee takes on Paul Hughes in the principle card opener of the PFL this weekend in a combat that will very properly be the folks’s fundamental occasion. McKee is already a star and Hughes has all the trimmings of a future one, he simply wants the proper wins. Sadly for “Large Information” this gained’t be a type of. McKee is just too dynamic for the younger Irishman, each on the ft and on the ground. I count on Hughes to present displaying of himself, however this can be a bit an excessive amount of, too quickly for Hughes.

Michel Pereira (+114)

Over within the UFC, the principle occasion between “Fluffy” Hernandez and Pereira is an absolute banger. Hernandez is without doubt one of the middleweight division’s premier grapplers and Pereira is without doubt one of the sport’s premier wild males. Since transferring as much as 185 although, Pereira has been much less wild and extra “unstoppable killing machine.” Three fights, three first-round finishes, a mixed combat time of three minutes and one second. “Demolidor” has been deadly since he stopped slicing a lot weight, and I consider it’s going to proceed. Hernandez wants takedowns to win and Pereira stuffs these at a 94 p.c price. “Demolidor” continues to stand up the ranks.

Prop Bets

Asu Almabayev by KO/TKO (+750)

Why not have just a little enjoyable, eh?

The prelim fundamental occasion over within the UFC options Almabayev taking over Matheus Nicolau in a battle of ranked flyweights. Almabayev is certainly one of many new hotshot guys coming in at 125 kilos and why I truly assume Nicolau might be just a little undervalued straight up, I like a flyer on this line for one motive: all 4 of Nicolau’s profession losses have come by way of KO or TKO.

Almabayev goes to get takedowns and when the submission sport fails him, then he might pivot to ground-and-pound. I feel there’s some life on this large of a line right here.

Jean Matsumoto By Factors (+100)

Additionally on the UFC prelims, Matsumoto takes on two-time The Final Fighter winner Brad Katona in a bantamweight matchup that ought to favor him closely. Katona desires to wrestle and grind however Matsumoto is a vastly superior athlete and striker. I feel he can stuff sufficient takedowns and win this combat on the ft, and since Katona has by no means been completed, this can be a good value for what is actually the way in which Matsumoto can win.

Parlays

Francis Ngannou (-260)

I’m, frankly, shocked that the road on Ngannou has dropped this a lot. Don’t get me fallacious, there are causes to doubt him — he’s been out of MMA virtually three years, he was brutally KOed earlier this yr, his life has been hectic — however nonetheless, the gulf in accomplishment between Ferreira and Ngannou is VAST. Like, Grand Canyon huge.

Ferreira has come alongside within the PFL however that is additionally a person who misplaced to Rizvan Kuniev 18 months in the past! That’s the identical Kuniev who simply went on Contender Sequence this yr. His greatest win is Ryan Bader, a profession gentle heavyweight! I like Ferreira however the one approach he wins that is if Ngannou is completely shot, and I don’t see that.

Francis is quicker, hits more durable, has the higher chin, and is a greater striker than Ferreira. It solely takes one, however I’ll be fairly shocked if that one lands on Ngannou this Saturday.

Johnny Eblen (-400)

In an identical vein, I’ll be flabbergasted if Fabian Edwards beats Johnny Eblen — as a result of they fought 13 months in the past and Eblen demolished him! Sure, Edwards began that combat properly, however fairly clearly the second Eblen determined to essentially combat, Edwards had nothing for him. I believe this time Eblen gained’t come out so flat and make a press release early over Edwards.

Parlay these two bets collectively for -212 odds

Wrap Up

Ought to be a fantastic weekend of fights. Truthfully, I’m fairly pumped about the principle card of the PFL (the undercard, we don’t want to debate) and this UFC card is fairly strong for an APEX present. Let’s take pleasure in it after which it’s on to UFC 308.

Till subsequent week, benefit from the fights, good luck, and gamble responsibly!

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