Kevin Holland saved the UFC tonight. Kevin Holland steps in place of Darren Till to face off vs Marvin Vettori. Darren Till broke his collarbone during training and was forced to pull out of the fight. Kevin Holland takes the bait and offers to save the night. No-brainer for Holland as he is looking to bounce back from his loss to Derek Brunson, just fourteen days ago. A lot of great fights on this card but realistically and monetarily, it would’ve suffered with the loss of Darren Till.
Marvin Vettori (16-4-1) vs Kevin HollanD (21-6)
Good on Vettori for accepting as well. This is an awful matchup for Vettori and a great matchup for Holland. Holland lost his last fight because Brunson controlled him on the ground. Both Holland and Vettori love a brawl. Unfortunately for Vettori, Holland is a better and more calculated brawler with crazy KO power like we saw vs Buckley and Jacare. I like Holland in this fight as the heavy underdog.
Holland Win +260
Arnold Allen (16-1) vs Sodiq YussuF (11-1)
This fight should be heavy favourite for Fight of the Night. Arnold Allen is 7-0 in the UFC and is considered one of the best featherweights in the division. Allen trains out of Tristar in Montreal so there is no doubt he will have a good game plan. Having said that, Allen is going up against Sodiq Yussuf is coming off a Unanimous Decision victory over Andre Filli. Yussuf shows that night that he is definitely someone you shouldn’t overlook. The winner of this fight will get a lot of contender hype. The ramifications, are so high here that both fighters will more or less play it safe. This benefits Allen.
Allen to win +110 but keep an eye on In Play bets to see if the line moves higher.
Mackenzie Dern (10-1) vs Nina Ansaroff (10-6)
Ansaroff, more known for being Amanda Nunes’ wife, is no slouch but we’ve seen Dern dominate fighters on the ground and using the clinch. We thought that Nunes would have the baby flu in her fight vs Megan Anderson and we were wrong. I don’t expect the same from Ansaroff though, she’s fighting Mackenzie Dern. Dern is probably the best grappler in all women’s divisions. Ansaroff is a phonomenal wrestler. I see this fight staying standing against the cage for the most part with a takedown or two by Dern.
Dern to Win -103
John Makdessi (17-7) vs Ignacio Bohamondes (11-3)
Keep an eye on John Makdessi. Another fighter from Montreal with a lot to prove. He’s facing off vs Ignacio Bohamondes. A lesser known fighter coming off a brutal KO win in the Dana White Contender Series. Makdessi is a vet that should be able to control the fight. Makdessi needs a win to stay in the organization, he’s 10-7 in the UFC alone and never had a title shot.
Makdessi to win +150. If you can find a line that gives Makdessi a win via decision, take it and let me know.
If you missed it, take a look at our interview with Aiemann Zahabi on his last win vs Drako Rodriguez.