The UFC Apex Center in Las Vegas, Nevada plays host to a card that has flown under the radar. Miesha Tate faces off against Ketlan Viera in the main event and Michael Chiesa faces fellow grappler Sean Brady in the co-main. In this week’s preview we look at the main, co-main and one on the undercard to hopefully turn a profit.
UFC Fight Night Betting Tips
Ketlen Viera vs Miesha Tate
If Ketlan Viera was the fighter she was before her knee injury, I would be backing her without hesitation but from the performances she has turned in since, Tate looks a good bet. Since her knee injury Viera has gone 1-2, and is in need of a big win to get her UFC career back on track.
Miesha Tate returned to the Octagon in July and secured a stoppage win over Marion Reneau. In her absence from the sport, Tate appears to have got stronger and faster on the feet, which realistically should give her a huge chance to beat Viera. Tate’s wrestling has always been solid but was never developed to the point where she could beat elite fighters with her wrestling alone. Many match ups would spell serious trouble for Tate at Bantamweight but Viera is a stylistic perfect match up. Tate appears to have the advantage on the feet and the wrestling to keep it standing or survive on the ground if needed. As the underdog Tate looks the play, with a spec on her to secure another stoppage win over a battered Viera.
Michael Chiesa vs Sean Brady
I could not be higher on Sean Brady and although Chiesa is ridiculously slick on the mat, I personally believe Sean Brady is still better. Sean Brady is as complete of a fighter as they get and at only 28, he is here to stay for a long time. He has brilliant wrestling, great submission skills and a top game that made Jake Matthews look lost on the mat. The bonus for Brady in this matchup is he actually has some seriously good striking fundamentals so doesn’t need to wade murky waters on the mat against Chiesa. He can land hard and often here on route to a dominant win. I have Brady pinned as the under the radar Welterweight contender. I will be backing him all the way to the top and look forward to a match up with a top 5 Welterweight contender after a win this weekend, where I sure will be backing Brady to win again.
Cody Durden vs Qileng Aori
Durden may be 0-1-1 in his UFC career to date but he is a far better fighter than his record shows. Last time out he succumbed to a slick flying triangle to Jimmy Flick but to be fair Flick is a seriously good submission artist. In his UFC debut he fought Chris Gutierrez to a late notice draw, which was an impressive performance. Gutierrez has shown that he belongs in the UFC, with that draw his only blemish in his last six bouts and I expect Durden to show he belongs in the premier organisation this weekend with his first UFC win.
Qileng Aori lost his UFC debut to Jeffrey Molina in a fight of the night performance that showcased his versatility. While I was impressed with his debut, I believe Durden has all the tools to make this a long night for Aori. Durden has solid low kicks, which should limit Aori’s movement. He is also the best wrestler Aori has faced by a fair margin and Durden should be able to control the pace and keep Aori guessing the whole 15 minutes, on route to a rather comfortable victory.
