We have had two awesome weeks of Fight Nights in London and Mexico City, but this weekend the UFC will return to its home, the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, NV, for another fun card.
The fights will be live on ESPN and are headlined by two Top 10 Featherweight contenders in Josh Emmett and Lerone Murphy. Today, I will break down my 3 favorite bets for this weekend’s fight card. Let’s get into it!
This should be a fun fight between two UFC vets who have been through just about everything in their careers. Both of these guys are currently 37 and are coming into this fight off a loss, so they will certainly be looking to get a win back.
To me, this fight comes down to Tavares’s ability to stay off the ground. He has never been submitted in his UFC career, which spans all the way back to 2011.
Meerschaert is as dangerous as they come on the ground with 29 professional submission victories. Tavares is a pretty big favorite in this one, and I think he ends up getting it done by decision.
MY PICK: Brad Tavares by Decision -110
This is possibly my most anticipated fight on the whole card. Both of these guys are very exciting to watch in different ways. These guys are both rising prospects in the Featherweight division, and a win could catapult them into the Top 15 conversation. I have a feeling this one isn’t going to the final bell.
Sabatini fights a lot like Sean Brady, who is his teammate at Marquez MMA in Philly. He drowns you with pressure and is a very high-level grappler. He has 12 professional wins by submission, and his last 2 wins are both by submission.
On the other hand, Brito hits like a truck and can finish you once you're vulnerable. Sabatini should have the advantage in the grappling game, and if he can avoid early pressure from Brito, I like his odds.
MY PICK: Pat Sabatini +190
We have yet another fun Main Event on our hands. Emmett has been around the block and has fought the best of the best in the Featherweight Division. He now stands in the way of undefeated prospect Lerone Murphy, who is looking to get his chance at the title. Both of these guys are great strikers, so it should be a fun one.
This fight is going to come down to Murphy’s ability to keep his distance. If you have watched Emmett before, you know he can put someone's lights out at any time. Murphy has a good size and reach advantage, so if he can stay out of the danger zone, I like his odds.
I don’t see either of these guys looking for many takedowns, so get ready for a good old-fashioned fist fight. I’m taking Murphy by decision, because we have seen Emmett survive some absolute wars. I think this fight will go down similarly.
MY PICK: Lerone Murphy by Decision -110