The middleweight championship is up for grabs at Saturday’s UFC 319. Champion Dricus du Plessis will likely be placing the title on the road towards high challenger Khamzat Chimaev within the night time’s foremost occasion.
Du Plessis entered the UFC with a clumsy model that appeared to mark him as a enjoyable fighter destined for the center of the UFC’s middleweight rankings. As a substitute, he turned that awkward model right into a puzzle that opponents haven’t been ready to determine, occurring a run that features wins over a number of former champions, together with two profitable title defenses.
Chimaev ripped by the competitors in his first few UFC bouts, instantly making himself into a person many believed was destined for UFC gold. Chimaev has needed to battle by accidents, sicknesses and journey points to lastly get his crack at a title and now seems to make good when he faces du Plessis in Chicago.
UFC 319 predictions, finest bets, odds: Dricus du Plessis, Aaron Pico amongst high picks to contemplate
Brent Brookhouse
The undercard options some fascinating matchups on Saturday. Most notably, Aaron Pico is ready to make his promotional debut when he takes on high prospect Lerone Murphy within the co-main occasion. Pico has been tabbed for greatness since earlier than he even stepped foot inside a cage of any variety. The previous Bellator MMA fighter struggled early in his profession as he was put in towards high fighters early. However he slowly discovered his footing and was closing in on title competition earlier than Bellator was purchased by PFL and his profession stalled. Now, he will get an opportunity to make a splash in a primary slot.
With a lot occurring on Saturday night time, let’s look nearer on the full battle card with the most recent odds earlier than we get to our workers predictions and picks for the PPV portion of the festivities.
UFC 319 battle card, odds
- Khamzat Chimaev -220 vs. Dricus du Plessis (c) +180, middleweight title
- Aaron Pico -195 vs. Lerone Murphy +165 featherweights
- Carlos Prates -260 vs. Geoff Neal +210, welterweights
- Michael Web page -180 vs. Jared Cannonier +150, middleweights
- Kai Asakara -300 vs. Tim Elliot +240, flyweights
- Baisangur Susurkaev -950 vs. Eric Nolan +625, middleweights
- Michal Oleksiejczuk -220 vs. Gerald Meerschaert +180, middleweights
- Crazy Godinez -150 vs. Jessica Andrade +125, ladies’s strawweights
- Chase Hooper -330 vs. Alexander Hernandez +260, lightweights
- Edson Barboza -160 vs Drakkar Klose +135, lightweights
- Karine Silva -230 vs. Dione Barbosa +190, ladies’s flyweights
- Alibi Idiris -455 vs. Joseph Morales +350, flyweights
With such a large foremost occasion on faucet, the crew at CBS Sports activities went forward with predictions and picks for the principle card. Listed here are your choose makers: Brent Brookhouse (Fight sports activities author), Brian Campbell (Fight sports activities author), Shakiel Mahjouri (author), Michael Mormile (producer) and Brandon Clever (senior editor).
UFC 319 picks, predictions
| Du Plessis (c) vs. Chimaev | Du Plessis | Du Plessis | Du Plessis | Du Plessis | Chimaev |
| Pico vs. Murphy | Pico | Pico | Murphy | Murphy | Murphy |
| Prates vs. Neal | Prates | Prates | Prates | Prates | Prates |
| Web page vs. Cannonier | Cannonier | Cannonier | Web page | Web page | Web page |
| Asakura vs. Elliott | Asakura | Asakura | Asakura | Asakura | Asakura |
Du Plessis vs. Chimaev
Campbell: The environment friendly and violent dominance proven by Chimaev in no less than six of his eight UFC bouts make it comprehensible that he can be the betting favourite, particularly after his current first-round dismantling of former champion Robert Whittaker. However Chimaev’s run hasn’t been with out surprising inconsistency at instances, whether or not that be contained in the cage, lacking weight or preventing simply as soon as in three of the final 4 years due accidents, sicknesses and visa points. Till du Plessis fails to determine a path to victory towards one other elite opponent, it stays troublesome to depend him out, particularly if this battle goes into the championship rounds, the place Chimaev (who light in Spherical 3 of his 2022 win over Kamaru Usman) has by no means been. DDP will must be cautious on the bottom, for certain. However he is excellent to nice in each class and is aware of how one can win shut fights.
Brookhouse: There isn’t a doubt that Chimaev is a novel animal. He takes guys down and rips by their defenses with regularity. However he additionally hasn’t proven the best cardio when he is been pushed previous the primary spherical. If there’s one factor du Plessis has, it is a deep fuel tank, even when he seems like he is tiring. Du Plessis brings a clumsy model that permits him to throw opponents off and he simply does not cease coming ahead because the battle wears on. So long as du Plessis can get by the primary spherical, he ought to have the ability to begin being the person deciding the tempo of the battle and that is the place he can take over.
Mahjouri: Du Plessis is an anomaly. He is error inclined, however sturdy and nicely rounded sufficient that his errors aren’t deadly. Conversely, his marauding strategy forces opponents to make deadly errors. We have seen Chimaev battle when fighters match his stamina and physicality. If Chimaev does not end early, and if his cardio is not revolutionized, he is in for an extended night time. It will be shut, however I predict a robust again half will get Du Plessis the choice.
Pico vs. Murphy
Campbell: It is no secret to anybody that UFC has huge plans for Pico after the promotion was fortunate to grab him out of free company after PFL parted methods with the previous Bellator MMA uber prospect. Pico is way from an ideal fighter, however he does every part extraordinarily nicely and appears to have put his early losses behind him. Murphy, who changed fellow unbeaten Movsar Evloev on late discover, is a technical fighter with loads of ability however he has constantly lacked that additional gear to propel himself out of the pack of title contenders. If Pico goes to lastly capitalize on his insane potential, now can be the time at age 28 in his long-awaited UFC debut. Ought to Pico get the win, a title shot is probably going so as. All he has to do is stay accountable defensively and look to construct off the specter of his wrestling by reducing off the cage and making Murphy pay.
Brookhouse: Murphy is an effective fighter who finds methods to win, however he’ll battle to cope with the other ways Pico can assault. Pico’s boxing is sharp and his wrestling is elite. Murphy is a striker first, however he needs to be anxious about Pico’s takedowns, which may gradual his assault. And when he is anxious about takedowns, Murphy will likely be open to Pico’s boxing. Pico is simply too well-rounded to select towards on this one.
Mahjouri: I am selecting towards my preliminary winner, Murphy. I instinctively picked Murphy, believing his long-term preparation for wrestlers would let his hanging flourish. Then I noticed his UFC takedown protection stats: 54%. Pico has nice energy in his palms, however going strike for strike with Murphy is a mistake. The UFC debutant ought to use boxing to arrange frequent takedowns. Murphy had three weeks to arrange for UFC 319. If Pico could make Murphy work, he’ll fatigue him by the tip of Spherical 2. Pico by way of determination.
Prates vs. Neal
Campbell: Prates, the cigarette smoking, Brazilian slugger, gained his first 4 UFC fights by stoppage earlier than enduring a heat-check second in April when he misplaced a five-round determination to high contender Ian Machado Garry. The dangerous information was that Prates was dominated by his extra technical foe for the primary two-thirds of the battle. The excellent news, nonetheless, is that he rallied late to almost earn a dramatic stoppage. Prates has been mature vocally this week about what went incorrect as he blamed his personal incapability to comply with the gameplan as he adopted Garry round. Whereas Neal is a troublesome veteran who at all times has a puncher’s likelihood to win, Prates has the pace, quantity and energy to provide him issues and greater than sufficient motivation to recapture the excitement he as soon as had getting into the Garry battle.
Brookhouse: It looks like essentially the most you’ll be able to say for Neal coming into this battle is that he has a puncher’s likelihood. Neal can pop, although, so he is a reside canine. Prates is an awesome drive when he is on his recreation and the loss to Ian Machado Garry seemingly pressured him to reset his recreation and study to not drift into passivity as he did at instances in that bout. That is seemingly going to be an extended night time for Neal, or a brief one if Prates does what he does finest.
Mahjouri: Neal has taken some severe harm. His energy is an on the spot gamechanger, however Prates quantity and energy will stop him from settling in. Towards Garry, Prates was outsmarted and out expert. Neal is an exceptional striker however does not have the range to nullify Prates. It will not occur rapidly, however Prates ought to discover a end in Spherical 3 or, no less than, a call.
Who wins UFC 319: Du Plessis vs. Chimaev, and the way precisely does the battle finish? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks and analysis from the incomparable expert who’s up over $1,500 on his UFC main-card picks, and discover out.
