Mike Pendleton 
The UFC schedule continues to roll on this weekend and in the main event it’s the classic striker vs grappler matchup as heavyweights collide when Derrick Lewis and Alexi Oleinik meet. The heavyweight division is back up and running, and with the title being on the line next weekend at UFC 252 between champion Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier, this fight between Lewis and Oleinik certainly has implications in the division.
Before the card takes place on Saturday, here are my three favorite bets for the weekend, including one prelim fight.
Bet 1:
Beneil Dariush (-175) vs. Scott Holtzman (+140).
This fight is going to be a firefight, and right away, I’ll let my secret pick out of the bag, take the under on the rounds in this one. Dariush provided an absolute highlight knockout of Drakkar Klose, that is in contention for highlight of the year. Scott Holtzman is game for every opponent and not afraid to scrap, In his last two fights, Holtzman has gone to decision and also won by doctor stoppage at the end of the second round, but I really don’t see any way this fight goes past the middle of the second round. Dariush is coming off an incredible performance against Klose as previously mentioned, so I’m taking him and the under rounds in this fight.
Bet 2:
Chris Weidman (-125) vs. Omari Akhmedov (EVEN MONEY).
This is a very trick fight, but I have to advise to go with the favorite in this one, Chris Weidman. Although he’s 1-5 in his last six fights, don’t forget that a deeper look at the record shows more of the story. His last fight was at 205 pounds and he returns to middleweight (185) to take on Akhmedov. Also in that, there was the controversial ending in the fight against Gegard Mousasi at UFC 210, but all in all, in his last five losses, Weidman has been in the driver seat at one point or another. The task won’t be easy against Akhmedov who is riding a five fight winning streak, but coming back down to middleweight could do wonders for the former champion.
Bet 3:
Justin Jaynes (+110) vs. Gavin Tucker (-140).
At the time of this writing, Justin Jaynes is again the underdog as he prepares for yet another short-notice fight this time against Gavin Tucker. Jaynes made his UFC debut back in June, in what was also a short-notice fight and he made the most of it by securing a win with a 41-second knockout of veteran Frank Camacho. While Jaynes wasn’t expecting to fight a guy like Tucker right away, especially on short-notice, he’s shown during the crazy times that the world is currently operating on, and how the UFC is handling everything, that he can come in and make a statement. This fight could really go anywhere as both fighters are versatile, but the one-year layoff for Tucker and the recent activity for Jaynes makes him one of my top three favorites for this weekend’s card.
While there are high implications for the heavyweight division in this weekend’s main event, these three fights and bets are my top favorites for this weekend.
You can also find alternate lines at DraftKings Sportsbook and FanDuel Sportsbook.
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