What’s up, Karma Nation!? We have some great news for you! If you’re thinking about joining the Karma Nation, use Promo Code “STRIKEOUT” to get 10% of ANY package for the lifetime of that subscription!
Jessica Andrade (-125)
I can already see the text from Jason when he sees that I recommended a bet on Jessica Andrade, but there’s no way I can get past the odds here. Andrade easily won her first three fights in the strawweight division before losing a championship fight to Joanna Jedrzejczyk. Since then, she has easily dispatched three of the best strawweights in the world. Rose Namajunas pulled off the upset against Jedrzejczyk [twice], although her decision win was somewhat questionable. With that being said, we aren’t using MMA math here, as matchups are a very real thing. Andrade utilizes overwhelming pressure, power, and aggression in her fights, while Namajunas is a more technical fighter. Simply put, I don’t feel Namajunas will be able to handle that pressure for five rounds. Moreover, she doesn’t possess the power to make Andrade back up on the feet. Both fighters own brown belts in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, while Namajunas also owns black belts in Taekwondo and Karate. Essentially, whoever dictates the positioning of this fight, I expect to have the advantage. That should be Andrade, as I don’t believe Namajunas is so much more technical than her that she can handle the power and pressure that Andrade brings into her fights at 115 lbs.
Bet 1.25 units on Andrade to win 1 unit
Irene Aldana (-302)
These odds are a bit surprising. Irene Aldana has gone to decision in each of her four UFC wins, but she has also finished 77.7% of her career wins, including each of her four wins in Invicta FC. She gets a great matchup against Bethe Correia, who is an aggressive striker, who has been knocked out in three of her three career losses. Correia hasn’t fought since June of 2017, while Aldana posted two wins in the UFC in 2018. My biggest concern is that Aldana uses her 4.5 inch reach advantage to keep Correia on the outside for an easy decision. That isn’t the M.O. of Correia, who loves turning fights into brawls. If that’s the case this weekend, I don’t expect her to be able to handle the power and overall striking of Aldana. The odds are a bit wide for my liking to bet on Aldana straight up, but getting +225 odds on a finish are more than worth it.
Bet 1 unit on Aldana by KO, TKO, DQ, or Submission to win 2.25 units
Raoni Barcelos (-1000)
Raoni Barcelos was expected to fight Said Nurmagomedov this Saturday, but after Nurmagomedov dropped out of the fight, Carlos Huachin replaced him. Huachin actually has relatively good striking for a short-notice signing, and he should offer quite a bit of resistance for Barcelos. Unfortunately for Huachin, Barcelos is an incredible counter-striker with tons of power in his hands. If he doesn’t find a finish on the feet, and he realizes that Huachin is more impressive than he originally gave him credit for, Barcelos can use his level-changes and wrestling to get this fight to the mat. Huachin is horrible off of his back, and Barcelos has the potential to finish this fight via knockout or submission. His odds to finish the fight in the first round are +125 on MyBookie, which is slightly better for bettors than his +105 odds elsewhere. Huachin might have a future in the UFC, but he will not impress this weekend. Barcelos has wins against Kurt Holobaugh and Chris Gutierrez already, and he is looking for a step UP in competition, not a step DOWN. Hopefully, no one drops out of his next fight because it will be interesting to see just how deep Barcelos runs in the featherweight division. Obviously, do not bet -1000 on Barcelos straight up, but +125 for a first-round win is worth the risk.
Bet 1 unit on Raoni Barcelos win in Round 1 to win 1.25 units
Parlay Bet
Parlay 1 unit on Jared Cannonier, Ryan Spann, Clay Guida, and Raoni Barcelos to win 2.8 units
