Bets and analysis for Saturday's UFC Fight Night card, headlined by betting favorite Islam Makhachev against Bobby Green.
After earning a convincing win at UFC 271 just two weeks ago, Bobby Green will enter the Octagon on short notice to take on one of the top championship prospects in the promotion in Islam Makhachev.
Green, a UFC veteran who just now seems to be coming into his prime, could make a serious case for a title shot if he is able to dispatch Makhachev, a Khabib Nurmagomedov protege. Despite that he comes in as over an 8-1 underdog at SI Sportsbook, Green is not listening to the haters and plans to shock the MMA world and make some money for the underdog bettors at the same time.
Our panel provided their best bets for this intriguing card.
Check SI Sportsbook for the Latest UFC Odds
UFC Fight Night: Makhachev vs. Green
Date: Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022
Time: Prelims 4 p.m. ET, Main Card 7 p.m. ET
Location: UFC APEX, Las Vegas, Nev.
PRELIMS
Victor Altamirano (+115) vs Carlos Hernandez (-138)
Ramiz Brahimaj (-400) vs Michael Gilmore (+310)
Alejandro Perez (+205) vs Jonathan Martinez (-250)
Terrance McKinney (+100) vs Fares Ziam (-118)
Josiane Nunes (-213) vs Ramona Pascual (+175)
Rong Zhu (+175) vs Ignacio Bahamondes (-213)
MAIN CARD
Armen Petrosyan (+138) vs Gregory Rodrigues (-163)
Arman Tsarukyan (-213) vs Joel Alvarez (+175)
Ji Yeon Kim (-167) vs Priscila Cachoeira (+140)
Misha Cirkunov (-118) vs Wellington Turman (+100)
Islam Makhachev (-800) vs Bobby Green (+550)
SI.com's Robin Lundberg
Bobby Green on the moneyline is the fun bet. Considering his recent performances and the odds on the payout, a small wager on Green to win outright isn't outlandish. However, Makhachev is the far safer wager especially given Green took the fight on short notice. A submission win from Makhachev is the most likely outcome, even more so if Green gets taken to the mat early.
BET: Islam Makhachev by SUB (-125)
SI MMA'S Justin Barrasso
Bobby Green is finally in his first UFC main event. If he defeats Islam Makhachev, it won’t be his last. Naturally, there is every reason to take Makhachev. He has dominated all but one of his 22 fights, suffering his lone defeat when he was caught by a punch seven years ago from Adriano Martins. But that is the same blueprint that be will put to use by Green, one of the sharpest boxers in MMA. Green is an extremely difficult fighter to finish. He hasn’t been knocked out since 2016, and last lost by submission in 2009. He has looked outstanding in his past two wins, and delivered gritty outings in the two fights prior to that, both of which should have been scored split-decision losses instead of unanimous. He wants to avoid the judges against Makhachev, as well as protect himself against that elite brand of wrestling. Green seeks to become Makhachev’s Kryptonite, causing a seismic eruption by knocking out one of the toughest in the game.
BET: Bobby Green (+550); Look for Green VIA KO/TKO (+1100)
SI Video's Doug Vazquez
In what is sure to be a contender for Fight of the Night, the lightweight division will see two exciting prospects trying to climb the ranks when the 13th-ranked contender, Arman Tsarukyan, takes on Joel Alavarez. Both fighters are pretty well rounded. SI Sportsbook has Amran as a 2-1 favorite and I am leaning on the underdog in Alvarez to get the job done in this one. While Tsarukyan is the more elite grappler in this matchup, Alvarez is a very dangerous submission specialist as 84% of his nineteen wins have come via SUB and he is relentless attempting them from many angles. With the oddsmakers setting the line at +450 for Alvarez to get a tapout here, I like the price a lot.
BET: Joel Alvarez via SUB (+450)
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