We’re in the middle of seven straight UFC events outside of the UFC Apex, a golden run where we get actually well put together fight cards with a live crowd, just like in the good old days. This week, the octagon sets up shop in the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri. Here are your UFC Kansas City predictions & best bets to make Saturday night profitable.
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UFC Kansas City Predictions & Best Bets
Carlos Prates (+110) vs Ian Machado Garry
The one drawback of a well-booked fight card is that it makes it more difficult to pick winners for its fights. Take Saturday’s main event, for instance, a welterweight fight between top contenders Carlos Prates and Ian Machado Garry.
I eventually fell on the Prates’ side due to his enormous power and explosiveness, his reach advantage over the Irishman (four inches), his fight IQ, and the fact that Machado Garry is entering this fight on less than a full fight camp.
Zhang Mingyang (-455) vs Anthony Smith
The co-main event is not difficult to choose a winner in. This has been announced as Anthony Smith’s “retirement fight” (in quotes because no one really retires in MMA). Smith is old and beat up, and most importantly, has not mentally been into this fighting thing for quite some time now.
Zhang Mingyang is big and young and knocks everyone out. This is a glue factory fight for Anthony Smith.
David ONama (-175) vs Giga Chikadze
This featherweight bout should be a fun striking battle, but if David Onama was smart, he’d utilize his low-key solid grappling to take the kickboxing-centric Giga Chikadze to the ground.
Even if it stays a stand-up battle, I still like the much younger (by six years), and more powerful and explosive Onama to win. Chikadze has too much wear on his tires and hasn’t been fighting regularly enough for my liking.
Da’Mon Blackshear (-500) vs Alatengheili
‘Da Monster’ Da’Mon Blackshear has been starting to put it together in the UFC, winning back-to-back fights, both via submission. This bodes well for him in this matchup with Alatengheili, a fighter who isn’t afraid to grapple as well, but isn’t as dangerous at it as Blackshear.
Plus, Blackshear has a huge size advantage (five inches taller, six-inch reach advantage) and should be the better fighter on the feet. If you want to get fancy (and get a better number), sprinkle on Blackshear via submission.
Jacqueline Amorim (-800) vs Polyana Viana
Jacque Amorim is a world-class grappler, which should spell trouble for Polyana Viana, who has lost to numerous grapplers in her UFC career – grapplers not on the same level as Amorim.
Again, if you want a better number here, take Amorim inside the distances or to win the fight early (probably via submission since that is her specialty).
Check out the MMA Gambling Podcast if you’d like even more UFC Kansas City picks. The guys are dropping five episodes a week to make you the smartest guy at the bar.
