UFC on ESPN 1 Ngannou versus Velasquez: Odds, Picks, and Predictions
Is Cain Velasquez the best heavyweight MMA contender ever?
Sadly, Saturday night can not recount that whole story, but rather Velasquez has said as of late that he would resign in the event that he believed he was unable to contend at the most significant level.
Fans will, in any case, discover that reality.
Cain hasn't contended inside the Octagon in anywhere close to three years.
Remaining opposite him is a totally enormous heavyweight with the athletic capacity of a 170-pounder in Francis "The Predator' Ngannou.
Here is a brief look at Francis streaming on the center gloves with his mentor.
In the co-headliner, parttime warrior and parttime UFC pundit Paul Felder is coordinated up very well with perhaps the biggest lightweight warrior on the program, James "The Texecutioner" Vick.
You see James driving here with a couple of punches before he tosses a leap switch or "Burmese knee" as one of my previous mentors in the Joe Lewis genealogy called it.
It resembles the jump plane pushup. I've heard it called a Chinese pushup or a Hindu pushup, however whatever the namesake, it's an exceptionally successful strategy.
The flying knee for James Vick is the same. As I would see it, it's the game-changing trump card procedure he will probably have to overcome the more specialized Muay Thai striker, Felder.
There are a couple exceptionally fascinating ladies' battles on this card including Andrea "KGB" Lee at long last getting some activity inverse Ashlee Evans-Smith after her booked battle with Jessica Rose-Clark in December was dropped without a second to spare because of a weight cutting issue from my Aussie buddy "Jessy Jess."
On the off chance that these matchups aren't intriguing enough for you, "Bruce Leroy" is battling the child of a broadly viewed as the best Brazilian man Jiu-Jitsu specialist that is at any point lived.
Kron (articulated "Crahn"), the child of Rickson (articulated "Hickson") Gracie, is perhaps of the best grappler on the planet at this moment and has gained MMA from his more distant family, however from the absolute best Gracie Fighters ever in siblings Nick and Nate Diaz.
Gracie should utilize a portion of that volume striking his group uses to get within his rival, Alex Caceres', long kicks and knees.
Should Read
Our Top UFC Betting Sites
Figure out How to Start Betting on UFC Fights With Our Guide
MyBookie has given us the wagering chances to Saturday night's bone and calfskin show in the desert. The principal card is set to "ding" at 10 Eastern. How about we separate them, discover some worth, and pick the champs.
Andrea Lee versus Ashlee Evans-Smith
LEE
-170
EVAN-SMITH
+145
OVER 2.5 ROUNDS
-220
UNDER 2.5 ROUNDS
+180
This battle isn't on the principal card, however I truly like Andrea Lee in this battle. Her rival, Smith, is just 2-4 in her UFC profession and might be on out the entryway with a terrible misfortune on Saturday.
Lee has experienced a lot in the previous year. She has needed to document aggressive behavior at home charges as well as limiting and defensive orders against her ex who additionally turned out to be her lead trainer.
This is a repetitive topic in ladies' blended hand to hand fighting today. Her underlying adversary for last December, Jessica Rose-Clark was seriously beaten also by her "contender" sweetheart. That drove her to leave Australia for the United States.
As of late, UFC warrior Rachael Ostovich battled Paige VanZant in a gallant exertion only weeks in the wake of having bones broken in front of her by her ex and "preparing accomplice."
It doesn't make any difference on the off chance that your sweetheart or spouse is a warrior, striking any cherished one bitterly is revolting and feeble.
Fortunately, Andrea will get the valuable chance to demonstrate to herself, her fans, and her mentors that she is presently a more grounded lady and contender after all of this.
I originally saw Andrea battle when she was still bright green to the game. I was preparing with Roxanne Modafferi when these two met in Invicta Fighting Championships, a stringently ladies' association presently possessed by the UFC.
Roxanne had the option to outduel her more youthful adversary, yet assuming that they met once more, I would need to give Andrea the benefit. Her striking is excellent. She simply required some enclosure time and hours back in the lab too to further develop her takedown safeguard.
She's the preferable competitor and in general warrior over Evans-Smith.
MY PICK
Andrea Lee by UD
-170
Put down BET NOW!
Myles Jury versus Andre Fili
JURY
-150
FILI
+130
OVER 2.5 ROUNDS
-275
UNDER 2.5 ROUNDS
+225
This is a very decent matchup from the get go, yet Myles is the more complete contender. He simply has to show it.
Myles Jury burst onto the UFC scene as a profoundly promoted prospect. He was a dark belt in BJJ with strong generally around striking and a fair wrestling match-up to oblige it.
After consecutive misfortunes to Charles Oliveira and Cowboy Cerrone, however, his certainty went from a 12 out of 10 down to perhaps 6 or 7.
That was in 2015, and from that point forward, he has just battled multiple times. He took all of 2016 off and two or three vets the following year prior to getting TKO's in the main round by Chad Mendes in '18.
Andre Fili hasn't been extraordinarily bustling himself just contending inside the Octagon multiple times beginning around 2015 storing up a record of 3-3 against great rivalry.
I give Jury the edge in striking and Jiu-Jitsu. Fili has great takedowns. He brought down the power-punching tree trunk that is Dennis Bermudez barely a year prior in a triumph.
Bermudez, while an extremely strong grappler, doesn't have close to the accommodation ability of Jury who has had his dark belt since before he even showed up on The Ultimate Fighter show in 2012.
Jury wins with kicks and hits. On the off chance that Fili gets froggy with the takedown endeavor, I think Myles gets his neck.
One thing that concerns me is the core of Fili. Jury's heart has been suspect previously, and we realize Andre won't verge on stopping within there.
It's only three rounds, however, and Jury is simply making his mark at 30 years old.
MY PICK
Myles Jury by UD
-150
Put down BET NOW!
Kron Gracie versus Alex Caceres
GRACIE
+255
CACERES
-315
There could be no finished/under here. This is most likely in light of the ability to complete of every contender, especially Gracie.
Alex is probably as differed a striker as one could envision. He will in a real sense toss anything at you from every point under the sun.
There isn't a lot of force in his punches, however his flawless timing assists his power essentially. He has six different appendages, however, and they will be flying all around the Octagon toward his rival, Gracie.
Kron isn't especially quick or unstable, yet he doesn't need to be.
Is Demian Maia unstable!?
Hell no!
Does he should be?
Against predominant grapplers, it would help significantly. Alex Caceres, however, is the direct opposite of a prevailing grappler.
MY PICK
Gracie by first round accommodation
-150
Put down BET NOW!
James Vick versus Paul Felder
VICK
-120
FELDER
+100
OVER 2.5 ROUNDS
-145
UNDER 2.5 ROUNDS
+125
The two contenders are enormous for the weight class. Paul is bigger in the legs and the stockier thicker contender while James has a bigger casing and will be the taller longer man on Saturday night.
Each man holds onto expressed their craving for a 165-pound weight class as a more prominent than 10% leap in weight is a lot for some folks that vibe like they are trapped in the center.
This is a truly extreme battle to pick. James Vick has just lost two times in his UFC vocation, yet inverse a couple Muay Thai strikers like Felder.
In the event that James can utilize his 3-inch arrive at advantage in the legs to safeguard the leg kicks of Felder, I figure his hit will be more powerful, and that will presumably lead into one of those "Burmese" knees we discussed prior.
I'm not incredibly sure about this one, yet I'll take the greater warrior with the better UFC record.
MY PICK
James Vick by third round TKO
-120
Put down BET NOW!
Cain Velasquez versus Francis Ngannou
VELASQUEZ
-160
NGANNOU
+135
Many are very amazed to consider this wagering line to be close as this. Cain Velasquez is one of the best heavyweight contenders ever. His wrestling and ground-n-pound battling base are tailor-made to overcome the dangerous striker Ngannou.
Or on the other hand would they say they are?
We were all on the Francis trend until it was radically wrecked by Stipe Miocic who wrestled "The Predator" for five rounds overwhelming him.
OK, so he lost to the then-champion while he was all the while creating as a blended military craftsman. That is entirely reasonable.
It was Francis' next challenge against individual knockout craftsman Derrick Lewis that left all of us puzzled.
This was THE most exhausting battle ever!
Francis did literally nothing while Derrick did barely enough (landed one strike for every round) to get the "win."
Ngannou conceded that the danger of prevailing wrestling was in his mind and he plainly had not intellectually recuperated from the Miocic battle.
However, derrick Lewis IS NOT a prevailing wrestling danger AT ALL!
From that point forward, he rematched Curtis Blaydes, who is a generally excellent grappler himself, and was taken out in the main round.
Is it true or not that he is back?
Is it true or not that he was ever here?
Francis still can't seem to demonstrate how him can be just a special case, and on the off chance that Cain Velasquez returning after almost three years off while he recuperated from back, neck, and knee wounds is certainly not a trump card, I don't have the foggiest idea what is.
Cain is certainly not a major man, and keeping in mind that I feel that 235-240 is the ideal size for a UFC heavyweight at the present time, the size contrast in this matchup might be sufficient to influence the result.
Stipe outwrestled Francis, yet he is 6'4" with a huge edge. Cain doesn't equal break six feet and has his rabbit of fat.
This battle, alongside the co-principal, is difficult to pick for me.
