The UFC is back again this December in Las Vegas, Nevada, and we can’t wait to share the news and predictions for this meeting with you. UFC 244 was one to remember for so many reasons, and we called the main event for that meeting as Masvidal cruised to a third-round knockout. This pre-Christmas event is shaping up to be another classic, and we can’t wait to give you the lowdown on the bouts on the bill. Let’s get into our top three selected matchups coming your way next month.
Main Event: Kamaru Usman (-175) vs. Colby Covington (+155)
These two fighters boast a matching record with both men having won fifteen bouts in the UFC to date. It’s a crossroads kind of battle, and whoever can take the upper hand will push forward while the loser will move back. It’s a challenging call to make, so let’s look into the histories of these two warriors and see who looks like taking the victory.
Usman won his fight earlier this year after an impressive decision win after five rounds of close-fought action. He has been undefeated since 2015 and made it as high as tenth in the pound for pound UFC rankings this year. The Nigerian-American is the current UFC Welterweight Champion, and he comes into this one needing another performance to overcome his esteemed challenger.
Covington is also undefeated on the former interim UFC Welterweight Champion will relish this opportunity to prove he is one of the best. He overcame a strong challenge from Robbie Lawler back in August after taking the win by decision. If he can find his best in this match, he has a fantastic chance at glory. This one looks like going the distance before either man even steps into the Octogan.
Co-Main: Max Hollaway (-170) vs. Alexander Volkanovski (+150)
Hollaway is the hot favorite in MMA betting for this co-main event as he looks to add a twenty-second career UFC victory to his already fantastic record. It’s his third fight of 2019, and it hasn’t all been plain sailing for the American. He won last time out after a decision win over Frankie Edgar, but he tasted defeat back in April against Dustin Poirier.
If he wants a positive result here, then he has to find the same intensity he managed in that last battle. You could see he learned a lot from that heartbreaking defeat earlier in 2019, and this fight is a must-win if he wants to hit the heights of former UFC legends. The pressure is on, and although time is on his side, opportunities might not be.
Volkanovski has twenty career wins to his name in the UFC and comes into this fight with a chance at causing an upset. You have to go back a very long way to find the last occasion he lost a bout, and there is every reason to believe he has more to give. The Australian is still young for the UFC at 31 years, and his best years could well be ahead of him. A successful outing here would make the world stand up and take notice.
Our Pick: Petr Yan (-475) vs. Urijah Faber (+370)
If you look at the odds, you might question why we selected this bout as our top pick. There is a method to our madness. We are looking at this one to be over early, and the odds there are much hotter than the Moneyline above.
Petr Yan is 26-years-old, and his career is very much fresh in the UFC. His opponent is coming to the end of his career, and this may be close to Faber’s last fight at age 40. Yan will have to be professional and attack his adversary from the first moment. We can see it being lights out early for the veteran. It’s a sad way to end a career, but Yan will not have that on his mind as he faces a man a whole generation ahead of him.
The Verdict
This event is looking like the perfect way to end a memorable year in the UFC. We have seen some massive upsets and dominant performances over the last twelve months, and we can’t wait to see how the last UFC event of 2019 pans out. Make sure you keep an eye on the Moneyline as those odds will fluctuate. Get your bets on when the value hits its peak and tune into to witness another historic night of MMA action.