We are heading back to UFC Apex for what should be a fun Fight Night with some solid contenders in the mix. You won’t find any big names on this card, but there should be some very fun fights in what the UFC sees as their upcoming generation.
Today, I will break down my 3 favorite bets for this weekend’s fight card. Let’s get into it!
Amil’s 30-second loss to Jose Delgado in his last fight stopped a lot of momentum for him. He was 3-0 in the UFC and undefeated as a pro up until that point, but almost everyone has to face a loss at some point.
He has another tough fight against Emmers coming up this weekend. Jamall Emmers is a tough guy, but he isn’t very polished in any one position. He is 4-4 in the UFC and has never won consecutive fights in that run, and he won his fight before this.
I think Amil is the more polished fighter all around, but we will see if he is down to scrap with Emmers. Emmers is a solid striker and will have the reach advantage here, but I think in general, Amil will have the advantage as this fight progresses. Give me Amil to take this one.
MY PICK: Hayder Amil -142
Muslim Salikhov recently turned 41 years old, but the old man still has some gas left in the tank. His last fight was a walk-off KO over Carlos Leal, and he is entering this fight on a 3-fight win streak.
The former Sanda Olympic Champion will take on Uros Medic, who is also a strong striker. Medic is 9 years younger than Salikhov, but we have seen him struggle against other strong strikers, including getting KO’d by Punahele Soriano in 30 seconds back in January.
Salikhov may be old, but I really think he is going to be too crafty for Medic. We have seen Medic get over anxious while striking and expose himself, and that is all Salikhov needs to end it. The veteran has 199 Kickboxing fights and 27 MMA fights under his belt, so there isn’t much he hasn’t seen. He also comes in as a pretty big underdog, and I love his odds to take this one.
MY PICK: Muslim Salikhov +124
Randy Brown, a veteran at this point in his career, is entering this fight with a 14-6 record in the UFC. During his time, he has fought some of the best in the division, including current champ Jack Della Maddalena and former champ Belal Muhammed. He’ll be taking on rising star Gabriel Bonfim, who has lost just one fight in his pro MMA career. This should be an exciting fight between two guys itching to get into title contention talks.
This fight will be a clash of styles as Randy Brown is a very dangerous striker, with Bonfim being the more efficient grappler. Brown will have a 6-inch reach advantage over Bonfim, which may make it difficult for him to close the distance.
However, I think Bonfim will be able to handle Brown. He has an overall solid takedown defense of 73%, but his latest loss against Brian Battle showed his weaknesses. Bonfim is a far superior grappler to Battle, so I think this may go south if Brown doesn’t finish him early. Taking the double chance on the finish to get the best of the odds here.
MY PICK: Gabriel Bonfim by Submission or Decision (+100)