Abdullah Ouazri

The UFC sends Ciryl Gane and Tai Tuivasa to Paris to headline the first ever French card in the promotion's history. The co-main event gives us a Middleweight showdown between former champion Robert 'The Reaper' Whittaker and The Italian Dream, Marvin Vettori. 

Let's see how the fighters weighed in:

## Main Card (3:00 PM EST on ESPN+)

Heavyweight: *Ciryl Gane (247) vs. Tai Tuivasa (266)*

Middleweight: *Robert Whittaker (186) vs. Marvin Vettori (186)*

Middleweight: *Alessio Di Chirico (186) vs. Roman Kopylov (186)*

Lightweight: *John Makdessi (154.5) vs. Nasrat Haqparast (155)*

Featherweight: *William Gomis (146) vs. Jarno Errens (146)*

Featherweight: *Charles Jourdain (145.5) vs. Nathaniel Wood (146)*

## Preliminary Card (12:00 PM EST on ESPN, ESPN+)

Middleweight: *Abusupiyan Magomedov (186) vs. Dustin Stoltzfus (186)*

Lightweight: *Fares Ziam (156) vs. Michal Figlak (156)*

Middleweight: *Nassourdine Imavov (186) vs. Joaquin Buckley (186)*

Lightweight: *Benoit Saint Denis (156) vs. Gabriel Miranda (155.5)*

Bantamweight: *Khalid Taha (135) vs. Christian Quinonez (136)*

Featherweight: *Stephanie Egger (145) vs. Ailin Perez (144.5)*

**All fighters have successfully made weight and each bout will proceed as planned.** 

UFC Paris: Gane vs. Tuivasa Weigh-In Results

According to Aldo's head coach Andre Pederneiras, the former champion will not be retiring from mixed martial arts following his last loss, despite reports from Merab Dvalishvilli that he intended to do so.

Now, these allegations have been denied and he is onto the next one, this time seemingly at UFC 283. UFC 283 takes place in January 2023 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Although he recently suffered defeat, Aldo is still close to the title picture and a win on home soil could potentially put him there again.

Aldo last fought Merab Dvalishvilli at UFC 278 in Salt Lake City. The fight was widely regarded as a no.1 contender's fight in the Bantamweight division and had much hype surrounding it. Unfortunately, the fight did not meet expectations as it was largely a clinch battle against the fence, with very little action taking place. After a close first round, Merab began to pull away and took home the unanimous decision win.

![87C9F2B8-F4D5-4443-8D16-BFD58D1581B4.jpeg](https://imagedelivery.net/kd_oB-9dZCrENaJzp7HSCA/a7510fde-0b65-4b5f-a68d-f4a4c2e35f00/pub "Merab Dvalishvilli looks to take down Jose Aldo. Credits to: Jeffrey Swinger USA-TODAY Sports")

Jose Aldo is the former WEC and UFC Featherweight champion of the world, the former interim UFC Featherweight champion of the world, and a former Bantamweight title challenger. He holds the record for most title defenses at 145 and is a guaranteed Hall of Famer. His legacy has become set in stone, yet he continues to build on it in his later years. 

He was riding a 3-fight win streak heading into his last bout and looked better than ever. Now he looks to resume that momentum in his home country. 

Jose Aldo Not Retiring, Plans to Fight at UFC 283 in Rio

Sean Strickland was scheduled to face Jared Cannonier on October 15th at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. He has been forced to withdraw from the fight due to an injury sustained during training according to Dana White.

Strickland mangled his left index finger after punching a sparring partner's teeth. It is no surprise to many that he injured himself in the gym, as he is known to spar very hard and disregard personal health as well as that of his partners. This has been highlighted many times in videos of him knocking out teammates as well as going full force during practice. 

This withdrawal is a relief to many fans as there was concern as to whether or not he was returning to action too quickly after his last fight. Just 4 months before the date he was scheduled to fight Cannonier, Strickland suffered a first-round knockout loss to upcoming Middleweight title challenger Alex Pereira at UFC 276.

![BCA28B0F-1DD4-470F-A653-40C2680C1BAD.jpeg](https://imagedelivery.net/kd_oB-9dZCrENaJzp7HSCA/4b90170c-7acf-405f-be6d-ef8bab8fff00/pub "Alex Pereira knocks Sean Strickland out in round 1 with a left hook. Credits to: Stephen R. Sylvanie USA-TODAY Sports")

His scheduled foe, Jared Cannonier, also fought at UFC 276. He challenged Israel Adesanya for the UFC Middleweight title in the main event. Although the fight was close, Adesanya was the clear victor and walked away with a unanimous decision win.

Jared Cannonier is now left without an opponent and Sean Strickland has been sidelined for an undefined period.

Sean Strickland out of Main Event vs. Jared Cannonier

Raphael Dos Anjos announced earlier today that he's had his last title run and would like to face fellow veterans from here on out.

> I had my last title run, and now it's time to fight people that motivate me to wake up and train. . . I would love to fight guys like Jim Miller, and Jorge Masvidal, or get my rematch with Tony Ferguson or Clay Guida. - Rafael Dos Anjos via Twitter

Former UFC Lightweight champion and Welterweight interim title challenger Rafael Dos Anjos knows that his last title run has been made, and from here on out would only like fights that satisfy a different desire. He has been with the UFC for over a decade and has made his mark on the sport of MMA. His BMF attitude earns him respect from fans that very few fighters have. RDA has always taken on the contenders and champions of 155 and 170 without looking for easier fights. 

His last fight was a main event against Rafael Fiziev on July 10th. He lost the bout via 5th-round knockout, marking the first time he'd been dropped in a fight since 2008. Although he lost the bout, it was a very close affair. One judge had it 2-2 going into round 5 and RDA showed that he still has what it takes to hang with the best. 

![CB6AA897-3278-4E39-9C22-65B4713EAE21.jpeg](https://imagedelivery.net/kd_oB-9dZCrENaJzp7HSCA/2a4b55e7-dedb-4d4d-1419-30ef64f70c00/pub "RDA goes to war with Rafael Fiziev. Credits to: Zuffa LLC")

Although more often than not, we see fighters try to stay at the top of their divisions for too long and suffer a brutal fall from grace, Dos Anjos has taken a more economical approach to his sunset years in MMA. Smartly, he now seeks to fight with those in a similar place to him and earn back victories from former foes. This will no doubt add to his legacy when he retires.

Speaking of his legacy, RDA won the UFC Lightweight title back in 2015 when he dominated then-champion Anthony Pettis as a massive underdog. He would defend the title against Donald Cerrone with a 1st-round TKO. Although he failed to retain it after that, he holds wins over the elite in the UFC, such as Nate Diaz, Robbie Lawler, and Benson Henderson, as well as the aforementioned title wins. 

And though he didn't defeat them he still took on former and current Welterweight champions, Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards. During his 170 run, he also faced Colby Covington and Michael Chiesa. Dos Anjos possesses one of the most rock-solid resumes in MMA history and has faced some of the toughest competition any weight class can offer.

Now it is time for him to take a step back, though, and commit to fighting fellow veterans.


Raphael Dos Anjos Calls End to Title Aspirations, Wants Masvidal, Ferguson


The former champion, Kamaru Usman, seems to be in high spirits after his recent knockout loss to Leon Edwards at UFC 278. He gave many thoughts on it in a recent interview.

"I'm feeling good, in good spirits. It was a fight, yeah. A fight's a fight, and it happened." 

He revealed he suffered no serious injuries or physical setbacks from the loss.

"Yeah I had to go to the hospital to just get scanned and all of that. Just the formalities. I was in and out of (the hospital), but everything was good, you know. Everything was great." 

He commemorated the kick landed by Edwards.

"What a shot. It was a great shot. I'm talking hail mary in the Superbowl, last 10 seconds. That was a great shot man. Hats off to Leon." 

He was asked if it was hard to look back to the fight and the buzz surrounding it on social media, as well as watching the fight ending sequence itself.

"No, I've watched the fight now 3 or 4 times. Once yesterday and 3 times today. No, it's not hard at all. You know how many people I've done that to? It's not hard at all. It happens. That's the beautiful thing about this sport. That happens but we forget what was actually taking place in that fight. So, I'm not down at all you know. It's almost everyone is more sad about it than I am. You know, everyone's more emotional about it than I am. But that's a good thing for me because it lets me know that people care, people are invested. It sucks that attention is just from a defeat but I'm so gracious to e in the place and time now to where people just care that much. Like I thought I was famous before but f*** with the meme actions going on, I'm (really) famous now."

He explained that the loss now drives him even more.

"It's just an added bonus, it's an added hunger to the return so I'm just excited for what's next. I have the rare opportunity now to just inspire and motivate, and show people that you can fall and get back up."

Kamaru believes that his next fight will be against Leon.

"What else makes sense? I mean, look at the division. It's absolutely what's gonna happen next. I talked to Dana (White), we're gonna let him do his job and we're gonna see what dates make sense and if it's gonna be top of next year. I was gonna try to squeeze one in this year, but it'll probably be top of next year and I wanna go to England."

"I've been feening to go to England. I feel like England is my 2nd home. It's time to go over there and entertain my English people. And what better story? You couldn't write this any better."

Kamaru has handled this loss like a true champion and fans are excited to see him return to action.


Kamaru Usman Reacts to UFC 278 Loss

ROUNDHOUSE MMA

Salt Lake City delivered with a top-notch card in front of a sold-out crowd at the Vivint Arena. We saw some truly remarkable performances from the best fighters in the world, and the fans certainly went home happy. The main card featured UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman going for the sixth defense of his welterweight title in a rematch against rising contender Leon Edwards. The card also featured the return of former middleweight champion Luke Rockhold against the former title challenger Paulo Costa, and the King of Rio, Jose Aldo face-off against Merab Dvalishvili. 

Let’s recap what went down. 

## “Pound For Pound, Head Shot, Dead.”

![image0.jpeg](https://imagedelivery.net/kd_oB-9dZCrENaJzp7HSCA/296ea941-3ae5-4a8d-6916-80447931e400/normal "Leon Edwards headkicks Kamaru Usman. Credits to: Chris Unger of Zuffa LLC.")

If 56 more seconds had passed, Kamaru Usman would have retained his UFC welterweight title, and extended his winning streak to 20. That all changed after a picture-perfect left high kick from Leon Edwards put the pound-for-pound king out cold on the canvas. It’s a massive upset, and one of the biggest comebacks of the year that we will be talking about for years to come. It was a difficult first round for the former champion, being taken down for the first time in his career, but he rebounded in the second, third, fourth, and the majority of the fifth round. Leon’s corner screamed at him in a panic to turn things around in the last round, and he sure did with a huge win. Leon becomes the second Brit to hold a UFC title and the first-ever Jamaican-Born champion. Congratulations to Leon!

Luke Rockhold Announces His Retirement After One Final War

![image1.jpeg](https://imagedelivery.net/kd_oB-9dZCrENaJzp7HSCA/fe61f096-ebdd-4ebd-6c18-e7c84acd3c00/pub "Paulo Costa and Luke Rockhold exchange back and forth strikes. Credits to: Josh Hedges of Zuffa LLC.")

This fight did not go the way most fight fans thought it would go, but man Paulo Costa and Luke Rockhold put on an all-time classic, and arguably one of the best fights of 2022. It looked like immediately after Paulo landed the first shot, Luke looked visibly uncomfortable. Luke seemed to be playing catch-up for the rest of the fight but showed massive heart, and even landed a couple of huge shots that wobbled Paulo and kept him in the fight. Costa earned the Unanimous Decision win, and shortly thereafter, Rockhold announced his retirement from mixed martial arts. Luke is the former Strikeforce and UFC middleweight champion and owns wins over the likes of Chris Weidman, Lyoto Machida, Michael Bisping, Tim Kennedy, and Jacare Souza. 

Congratulations on an amazing career Luke!

Merab Dvalishvili Defeats The Legend, Jose Aldo

![image2.jpeg](https://imagedelivery.net/kd_oB-9dZCrENaJzp7HSCA/f37a79d0-e3cc-4b59-bdba-ac2ff7f0dd00/pub "Merab Dvalishvili reacts to defeating Jose Aldo at UFC 278. Credits to: Chris Unger of Zuffa LLC.")

It certainly wasn’t the most exciting fight, but Merab Dvalishvili’s pressure, pace, and volume outlasted Aldo throughout three rounds. Merab attempted sixteen takedowns, but despite not landing any of them, he controlled Aldo through the entirety of the fight in the clinch, and Aldo could not get going offensively. Merab outlasts Jose Aldo, the number three ranked contender, but now what? His training partner and good friend, Aljamain Sterling is the current UFC bantamweight champion and Merab has stated that he will not fight him. It will be interesting to see what happens next, and with a fresh wave of contenders, it’s never been a more exciting time to be a bantamweight. 

Tyson Pedro Earns His Second TKO Win Back From Injury

![image3.jpeg](https://imagedelivery.net/kd_oB-9dZCrENaJzp7HSCA/16596584-8e13-418a-8ad3-d91d6ec8f000/pub "Tyson Pedro knocks down Harry Hunsucker in the first round. Credits to: Chris Unger of Zuffa LLC.")

It certainly did not last long, but Tyson Pedro sent the Vivint Arena into a frenzy with a one-minute, five-second knockout over Harry Hunsucker. Hunsucker looked to be in top-tier shape for his Light Heavyweight debut, but Pedro’s power proved to be too much for Harry. Pedro stunned him with a stiff jab and put him down with a body kick. It was interesting to see how Pedro would respond following a three-and-a-half-year layoff, but his second knockout win in a row is gaining him some serious momentum in this Light Heavyweight division. I’m very excited to see what’s next for Pedro, as his talent surely belongs within the top fifteen of the division. 

Not One, But Two Draws? 

![image4.jpeg](https://imagedelivery.net/kd_oB-9dZCrENaJzp7HSCA/a0f13a28-6970-4083-6930-343a69afb600/pub "Sean Woodson and Luis Saldana react to their fight being called a draw at UFC 278. Credits to: Josh Hedges of Zuffa LLC.")

UFC 278 almost had not one, but two draws on tonight’s card, with one being somewhat controversial. In the first round of the Sean Woodson and Luis Saldana fight, Saldana dominated Woodson with two knockdowns but was deducted a point for a blatantly illegal knee. The next two rounds were lackluster, to say the least, but after the 9-9 first round, judge Derek Cleary gave the next two rounds to Woodson, while judge Rich Montanez gave two rounds to Woodson. Judge Mike Bell gave one round for each fighter, which prompted the 29-27, 28-28, 27-29 split draw. 

The featured prelim between Marcin Tybura and Alexandr Romanov was arguably another controversial decision, in which Tybura gave Romanov his first professional loss. The first round was so dominant by Romanov, that a lot of people certainly thought the judges would warrant a 10-8 round in favor of Alexandr, but the only judge to do so was Derek Cleary. Cleary was also the only judge to score the fight a draw, while the other two scored the fight in favor of Tybura. If another judge had scored that first round a 10-8 for Romanov, we likely would have seen a majority draw. However, it is Marcin Tybura who prevailed over the formerly undefeated Alexandr Romanov in a significant upset. 

Amir Albazi: The Black Belt Destroyer

![image5.jpeg](https://imagedelivery.net/kd_oB-9dZCrENaJzp7HSCA/64de5e8e-95dd-41f9-3e3b-ccf546618c00/pub "Amir Albazi reacts to submitting Fransisco Figueiredo in the first round. Credits to: Josh Hedges of Zuffa LLC.")

Amir Albazi returned to the Flyweight division after over a year away with a dominant performance, stopping Fransisco Figueiredo in the first round. Fransisco is the brother of UFC Flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo, and he made some noise prior to the fight by saying that his brother should move up to bantamweight so that he could capture the Flyweight title. This loss surely puts a halt to those plans, but tonight belongs to Amir Albazi who submits another Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt. Submission wins over Malcolm Gordon and Fransisco Figueiredo are super impressive to have on one’s resume, which exemplifies the talent that Amir Albazi has. 

Overall, it was a fantastic main card, capped off with a massive upset from Leon Edwards. We have a new UFC welterweight champion, and in two weeks, the UFC travels to Paris, France for the first time with a massive card headlined by top five heavyweights Ciryl Gane and Tai Tuivasa. In the co-main event, former middleweight title challengers Robert Whittaker and Marvin Vettori will meet for the first time on what should be a monumental card. 

UFC 278 Post Fight Review

Leon Edwards pulled off one of the most incredible upsets in recent memory as he slept Kamaru Usman in the 5th round at UFC 278.

The fight was more than just an upset, it was a comeback. Leon Edwards was down 3-1 on all 3 judges' scorecards. Kamaru Usman was only picking up steam as the fight went on.

Edwards had a very successful 1st round as he took down Usman and held back control for the majority of it. He was the first man to ever take Usman down and constantly threatened submission attempts until the round ended. The next 3 rounds were all champion as he landed crisp strikes and completed 5 takedowns. 

Just as Edwards was appearing to be done and fans were leaving the arena in anticipation of the champion retaining, Leon lands a flush head kick that puts Usman to sleep. 

![C1706A9A-D8A4-4389-92D2-D62BE4054D03.jpeg](https://imagedelivery.net/kd_oB-9dZCrENaJzp7HSCA/9ed5d2f7-d16e-4073-6f81-7a41c5958b00/pub "Leon Edwards puts Kamaru Usman to sleep with a 5th-round head kick. Credits to: Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC")

This was the 1st knockout loss of Kamaru Usman's career and his 1st ever UFC loss. He was rushed to the hospital immediately after but seems to be well ad has already given a response to the loss.

> Champs f*** up sometimes... But we bounce back and come with vengeance!! - Kamaru Usman via Twitter

He appears ready for the rematch and so is Dana White. Dana said in the post-fight press conference that the two will run it back again next year in England, preferably at Wembley Stadium.

Leon Edwards Knocks Kamaru Usman Out Cold in Comeback Win

At the UFC 278 post-fight press conference Dana White announced that Tony Ferguson will return to the octagon at UFC 279 against the #14 ranked Welterweight Li Jingliang at 170 lbs. 

This fight can only be described as unexpected as Ferguson is moving up a weight class against a fighter whose name hasn't been mentioned near him since the start of his career.

Jingliang (19-7, 11-5 UFC) is coming off of one of the biggest wins of his career against Muslim Salikhov last month at UFC Long Island. Salikhov is a legend in China as he is the only foreign fighter to win the highest level Kung Fu competition in the nation. Jingliang described him as his hero coming into the fight and earned a 3rd-round TKO victory over him. 

![D2EDC3EE-FFA0-48DA-B347-23DB5AA3D2D3.jpeg](https://imagedelivery.net/kd_oB-9dZCrENaJzp7HSCA/7d00985f-1d4b-4239-e538-0a78cd6de300/pub "Li Jingliang proudly represents China after finishing Muslim Salikhov. Credits to: Ed Mulholland USA-TODAY Sports")

Ferguson's (26-7, 12-5 UFC) last fight was against Michael Chandler at UFC 274. Chandler knocked him out violently in the 2nd round with the leading KO of The Year contender, a massive front kick. The ending is not the whole story though. Ferguson came out looking as good as he ever has, dropping Chandler in the 1st and making him miss throughout the round. He won the first round on the Verdict Global Scorecard before the knockout. 

Fans won't know what to expect in this fight as Ferguson is moving up a weight class against an unfamiliar foe.

Tony Ferguson vs. Li Jingliang to Fight at UFC 279

Douglas Vegas Bets

The UFC is bringing PPV action to Salt Lake City, Utah, as pound-for-pound king Kamaru Usman -357 continues his lap around the Welterweight division in a rematch against Leon Edwards +320. This card will also showcase several former champions as Luke Rockhold +300 returns against Paulo Costa -333 in what should be a Middleweight banger, and Jose Aldo +112 takes on The Machine Merab Dvalishvili -120 in a Bantamweight matchup with massive stakes. 

**All Odds Provided by Stake.com Accurate as of 5:00 PM EST 8/17/2022**

## Kamaru Usman -357 Leon Edwards +320

This rematch has been building up for a while, with each man having very long win streaks. Kamaru Usman has shown off his hands a lot lately, but his main attribute is still his strong wrestling which could be key in this matchup. Leon Edwards is a very skilled striker who gave Kamaru trouble when standing in the first fight; however, he has been hurt before, and his wrestling is not on the level of Usman. 

I think this fight will be close early as Kamaru tests his striking; however, I believe Leon tends to fade as the fight goes on, and I think later in the fight, Usman will have success wrestling and take over the fight. Leon will come into this fight very prepared, and it will not be an easy night for Kamaru, but I think he gets it done by decision at -111 on Stake.com.

Pick: Kamaru Usman O/U: Over 4.5 -161

## Paulo Costa -333 Luke Rockhold +300

This is going to be a fun one at Middleweight as the former champion Luke Rockhold returns to face knockout artist Paulo Costa. Paulo Costa is a terrifying striker with nice body shots that he throws consistently, and he has also proven challenging to wrestle. Luke Rockhold, in his prime, was a well-rounded offensive weapon with long sharp striking and great top control; he is, however, off a three-year layoff after several knockout losses, which is very concerning. 

I'm taking Paulo Costa here as this is just an absolute nightmare matchup for Rockhold, and we have not seen fighters coming back in situations have any success in the past.

Pick: Paulo Costa O/U: Under 1.5 -106

## Jose Aldo +112 Merab Dvalishvili -120

This fantastic stylistic matchup will see Jose Aldo's legendary takedown defense put to the test. Jose Aldo looks refreshed at Bantamweight as he may no longer have the same explosion of a young Aldo; he still has the skills and has looked much stronger than recent opponents. Merab Dvalishvili is going to try to wrestle, and he is not going to stop, and he will not get tired doing it; this causes problems for many, but when forced to stand, I have not been impressed with Merab. 

I will take Jose Aldo as an underdog here as his takedown defense has held up against much larger opponents, and he has a large striking advantage. This will come down to his cardio as if Merab can tire Aldo; that is the only way I see Aldo accepting bottom position. 

Pick: Jose Aldo O/U: Under 2.5 +180

## Marcin Tybura +340 Alexander Romanov -385

Here we get a step up in competition for the recent largest favorite in UFC history Alexander Romanov as he takes on tested veteran Marcin Tybura. Tybura is a solid Heavyweight with lots of high-level experience. Alexander Romanov has finished most of his wins dominantly, but he has yet to be tested.

I will lean Romanov here, but this price is very wide for a Heavyweight who has not fought anyone like Tybura yet. 

Pick: Alexander Romanov O/U: Under 1.5 

## Tyson Pedro -667 Harry Hunsucker +560

This matchup will see Tyson Pedro continue his comeback against Harry Hunsucker in a Lightheavyweight matchup. Pedro looked very impressive his last time out in a quick finish victory. Hunsucker is moving down for this fight and appears to be in great shape; however, he has struggled in his UFC run and has shown little to inspire confidence. 

I am taking Pedro here as this feels like a good fight to continue building him back into contention. Pedro has a steep price, but he is good enough that I will add him to my main card parlay. 

Pick: Tyson Pedro O/U: Under 1.5

## Jared Gordon -263 Leonardo Santos +240

This is a fun Lightweight clash that sees both men looking to bounce back. Jared Gordon is a well-rounded veteran who has fought big name like the champion Charles Oliveira. Leonardo Santos is a finisher who has also fought several solid names in the UFC, from Thiago Santos to Kevin Lee; however, he is over forty and has been finished in his last two. 

I will pick Gordon here as it is tough to back Santos at this stage in his career. No bet on this as the price is wide, and it could be a close fight. 

Pick: Jared Gordon O/U: Under 2.5 +109

## Lucie Pudilova -128 Yanan Wu +118

This Bantamweight matchup features the UFC return of Lucie Pudilova taking on Yanan Wu, who looks to end her losing streak. Lucie Pudilova comes back into the UFC as a boxer with good pressure but no ground game. Yanan Wu is also a striker who has had a tough run in the UFC, losing four of her last five.

I will take Pudilova in this one, as although she did not have much success in the UFC her last time, she has at least shown that she can win in recent years enough to get another shot. 

Pick: Lucie Pudilova O/U: Over 2.5 -385

## Sean Woodson -323 Luis Saldana +285

Here we get a Featherweight scrap featuring contender series products Sean Woodson and Luis Saldana. Woodson is very tall for the weight class, which can give opponents trouble with the range, which he has used to his advantage. Luis Saldana is a sharp striker; however, he hesitates to throw his hands at times. 

I am taking Woodson here as I do not believe Saldana has the volume to win this fight. I will combine Woodson with Miranda Maverick here for a nice prelim parlay of two of my more confident picks. 

Pick: Sean Woodson O/U: Over 2.5 -159

## Miranda Maverick -526 Shanna Young +460

This Flyweight matchup features a rematch between two women looking to get on win streaks. Miranda Maverick is working her way back into contention after a bit of a slip with two tough fights against tough competition. She will likely do so using a strong ground game with solid finishing ability. Shanna Young is coming off a much-needed win; however, she did need a comeback to get it and has not been impressive in any of her fights before. 

Miranda Maverick is my most confident pick on the card, as she has already finished Shanna Young once, and I expect her to do it again. 

Pick: Miranda Maverick O/U: Under 2.5 +100

AJ Fletcher -147 Ange Loosa +135

This is a close fight at Welterweight, with each fighter looking to earn their first UFC win. AJ Fletcher is a good wrestler with many quick submissions on his resume. Ange Loosa came into the UFC on short notice and returns here with a good camp behind him. 

I will lean Loosa here as I think he is more well-rounded than Fletcher, and if he can avoid takedowns long enough, he should win. 

Pick: Ange Loosa O/U: Over 2.5 -185

## Amir Albazi -400 Fransico Figueiredo +350

This Flyweight matchup features the younger brother of the champion Deiveson Figueiredo, Fransico, taking on Amir Albazi. Albazi is back after an over year and a half layoff from an impressive win where he was made to stand, although he has shown very strong grappling in his career. Figueiredo got a nice submission win his last time out, but before that, he had not put on many good showings in the UFC. 

I've got Albazi in this one as I believe he is better everywhere; the layoff is of no concern as he is only twenty-eight, meaning he has likely been improving over that time. 

Pick: Amir Albazi O/U: Under 2.5 +115

Aoriqileng -149 Jay Perrin +138

Here we get a good clash in this Bantamweight matchup. Aoriqileng looked good his last time out in his return to Bantamweight after several Flyweight appearances that resulted in losses. Jay Perrin is a choke specialist, with four of his ten wins coming by submission.

I will lean Aoriqileng here as it has been a long time since he has suffered a submission loss, and I believe that is Jay Perrin's best path to victory. 

Pick: Aoriqileng O/U: Over 2.5 -204

## Victor Altamirano -167 Daniel da Silva +155

A good matchup of styles to start the night at Flyweight. Victor Altamirano is a tough grappler who will wear down opponents. Daniel da Silva is known for a wild style that is fun and dangerous; however, he rarely reaches round two, and when he did, it did not go his way.

I will pick Altamirano as if Daniel da Silva does not get the early finish, I do not see a path to victory, and Altamirano has proven difficult to finish. 

Pick: Victor Altamirano O/U: Under 2.5 -175

## DougLasVegasBets.net Plays

Paulo Costa -333

Jose Aldo +112

Miranda Maverick -526

Kamaru Usman by Decision -111

Parlay: Tyson Pedro, Paulo Costa, Kamaru Usman -109

Parlay: Miranda Maverick, Sean Woodson -183

UFC 278 Betting Preview

Taylor Dow

José Aldo da Silva Oliveira Júnior fought his first professional fight at age 17 at EcoFight 1 on August 10th, 2004. He faced fellow Brazilian newcomer Mário Bigola, finishing him by knockout in 16 seconds. José would have four more fights within the following year and finish them all in the first round before taking his first bout outside of Brazil, facing future UFC fighter Phil Harris at UK-1: Fight Night in England. Aldo would finish Harris by doctor stoppage between the first and second round. Aldo traveled to England again only one month later, where he fought Micky Young at FX3- Battle of Britain. He defeated Young just one minute into the first round by TKO.

At 7-0 with all first-round finishes, Aldo moved up to Lightweight to fight Luta Livre black belt, Luciano Azevedo, at Jungle Fight 5. Aldo would win the first round, getting the better of Azevedo in most exchanges and stuffing all his takedown attempts. In the second round, Azevedo's size and wrestling capabilities proved too much as he scored a takedown and finished Aldo via rare-naked choke at 3:37, handing him the first loss in his career.

![jose v luciano.jpg](https://imagedelivery.net/kd_oB-9dZCrENaJzp7HSCA/1a2eec3e-0f3a-4dd4-c884-e774d1d60d00/pub "Jose Aldo tastes defeat for the first time against Luciano Avezedo in 2005. Credit: Jungle Fight.")

Aldo rebounded from the loss in his next fight, beating undefeated Thiago "Minu" Meller at Gold Fighters Championship I on 20 May 2006 by majority decision.

Aldo took a fight at Pancrase in Japan against Shoji Maruyama, where he won by unanimous decision and got the opportunity to fight under the World Extreme Cagefighting promotion. In his first five fights in WEC, he scored knockout finishes against Alexandre Franca Nogueira, Jonathan Brookins, Rolando Perez, Chris Mickle, and Cub Swanson before facing Mike Brown for the WEC Featherweight championship and again won by knockout to become WEC Featherweight champion. Aldo would win two more fights under the WEC banner against Uriah Faber and Manny Gamburyan before the UFC acquired the promotion and promoted him to UFC Featherweight champion.

![maxresdefault.jpeg](https://imagedelivery.net/kd_oB-9dZCrENaJzp7HSCA/8a858797-c0d1-469a-c506-f71491900500/pub "Jose Aldo def. Mike Brown for the WEC Featherweight title. Credit: Zuffa LLC.")

In his UFC debut, Aldo faced Mark Hominick and defended his title in a Fight of the Night earning performance. Aldo would defend his title for nine consecutive years against Kenny Florian, Chad Mendes, Frankie Edgar, Chan Sung Jung, and Ricardo Lamas before suffering the second loss of his career at the hands of Conor McGregor. At one of the best UFC events to date, UFC 200, Aldo rematched Frankie Edgar for the Interim Featherweight title while Conor McGregor was away challenging Nate Diaz. After defeating Edgar and becoming the Interim champion, Aldo was promoted to undisputed champion when McGregor vacated his title after winning the Lightweight title.

![jose interim title.jpg](https://imagedelivery.net/kd_oB-9dZCrENaJzp7HSCA/079f7d14-5be6-48f2-8ba4-876711eec300/pub "Jose Aldo def. Frankie Edgar for the Interim UFC Featherweight title at UFC 200. Credit: Zuffa LLC.")

Aldo's next two fights would see him lose consecutively for the first time in his career to one of the greatest Featherweights in history in Max Holloway. Immediately after, Aldo would bounce back with two knockout victories over Jeremy Stephens and Renato Moicano and earn Performance of the Night awards in both outings. Aldo's final fight at Featherweight would see him face future champion and greatest Featherweight of all-time contender, Alexander Volkanovski, where he lost by unanimous decision and chose to enter the Bantamweight division.

In his Bantamweight debut, Aldo lost a controversial split decision to Marlon Moraes that many people believe he won, including UFC president, Dana White. Dana gave Aldo a shot at the vacant Bantamweight title against Petr Yan despite the loss where Petr would win by TKO in the final round to become the undisputed champion. Aldo was 3-6 in his last nine fights and unable to secure a proper win streak since losing to McGregor, many people believed it could be the end of Aldo's career, until seemingly out of nowhere, he strung together unanimous decision wins over three Bantamweight top contenders in Marlon "Chito" Vera, Pedro Munhoz, and Rob Font.

![jose v font.jpg](https://imagedelivery.net/kd_oB-9dZCrENaJzp7HSCA/83922a40-fab6-4671-68e1-9f0f82670600/pub "Jose Aldo dominates Rob Font to make it 3 wins in a row. Credit: Jeff Bottari - Zuffa LLC.")

Now on a three-fight winning streak, Aldo looks to continue piling up these Bantamweight wins to earn a shot at Bantamweight gold. Aldo has taught us to never count him out and proved that no matter what, he can hang with all the top guys. With a win over Merab Dvalishvili on the main card of UFC 278, Aldo will potentially be one fight away from facing Aljamain Sterling for the Bantamweight title.


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