The UFC is headed to New York on Saturday, July 16 for an explosive matchup between top five-ranked featherweights Brian Ortega and Yair Rodriguez, who are both coming off losses and looking for a path to a title shot. tktk
To go along with that star-studded main event, there will be multiple No. 1 contender matches to look forward to. MaximBet analyzed three UFC On ABC 3 fights to bet on.
Brian Ortega vs. Yair Rodriguez
Odds: Ortega -157
The main event features two seasoned fighters who are carving paths to championship contention, and both are coming off losses against two of the best featherweights in the world.
Ortega was most recently dominated in a unanimous decision loss to reigning champ Alexander Volkanovski. And though he’s faced multiple featherweight legends, Ortega is 7-2 in the UFC and was on a six-fight win streak before dropping two of his last three (to Volkanovksi and former champ Max Holloway). Ortega’s outstanding jiu-jitsu has made him a force in the division.
On the other hand, Rodriguez is looking for his first shot at the featherweight belt. In his last seven fights, Rodriguez is 4-2 with one no-contest, but when he’s outstruck his opponents over his entire career, he’s gone 7-1. That said, Ortega’s style should help him stay out of Rodriguez’s reach.
Pick: Ortega
Shane Burgos vs. Charles Jourdain
Odds: Burgos -190
This is an interesting one. Burgos is ranked No. 14 in the division and holds an overall record of 14-3 (3-2 in the UFC). Burgos is a talented striker. In fact, he landed 69% of the significant strikes and 71% of his overall strikes in his last bout. However, Burgos has gone 1-2 when facing the division’s fiercest competition, with one of those losses coming via knockout against Edson Barboza.
His opponent, Jourdain, has an overall record of 13-4-1 and a UFC record of 4-3. Jourdain is 3-1 in his last four fights and is also a solid striker with eight career KOs. This fight against Burgos will be his first “big-name” fight.
Burgos has already fought some of the best featherweights. Also, his six-inch reach advantage will give him a leg up on the shorter Jourdain.
Pick: Burgos
Lauren Murphy vs. Miesha Tate
Odds: Tate -175
This bout is basically a No. 1 contender fight in the women’s flyweight division.
Murphy is currently the No. 4-ranked flyweight and is 6-2 in her last eight bouts. Murphy’s most recent loss came against flyweight champion Valentina Schevchenko via KO. With 12 fights’ worth of experience, she holds a record of 7-5 in the UFC. Despite being 6-2 in her last eight fights, the only tough competition she has faced is Schevchenko. It also seems like the UFC is ready to use her as a gatekeeper.
Tate, the No. 10-ranked bantamweight, comes up to the division after losing her last bout at bantamweight and automatically gets a top five flyweight. That should tell you everything you need to know.
Tate has a huge opportunity to make a run for gold in the flyweight division, with an overall record of 19-8. She’s a solid all-around fighter with seven submissions and four KOs. On the other hand, she is 2-3 in her last five fights. In those last five, three of them were against former or current champions in the UFC, including her submission win over Holly Holm to gain the bantamweight title.
Tate’s resume includes fights with Amanda Nunes, Ronda Rousey (twice), Raquel Pennington and Cat Zingano, who are all elite opponents. She has the experience. Tate’s fights often go the distance, so take her to win via decision. You could also simply bet on the fight to go to the judges’ scorecards, which should cash as well.
Pick: Tate to win via decision