UFC 282: Blachowicz vs. Ankalaev – Best Bets
In the final PPV of the year, Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev will face off for the vacant UFC Light heavyweight title.
Surging UK superstar Paddy Pimblett also features, as does his countryman, Darren ‘The Gorrilla’ Till. A host of other notable names litter the undercard, with the likes of Santiago Ponzinibbio, Bryce Mitchell, Illia Topuria and Chris Curtis all set to make the walk.
Check out our top bets from UFC 282 below:
Paddy Pimblett ITD
Our first pick is from the co-main event of the evening. We are backing Paddy Pimblett to finish Jared Gordon inside the distance.
Pimblett is the bigger, younger fighter, with clear finishing ability. Whilst he may be a bit wayward on the feet, however, he has proven time and time again that he thrives in the chaos. There will likely come a day when he will come up short to the upper echelons of the 155lb division.
However, Gordon is still a very beatable opponent for ‘The Baddy. All of his losses have come inside the distance, and he has shown a tendency to give up his back when the fight hits the mat. Pimblett’s submission game is very high level and his back-take game is truly elite.
Pimblett will likely win via submission but there is a chance he utilizes ground and pound to get the TKO finish. Pimblett to win inside the distance is priced at 1.83 on Betway.
Chris Curtis ML
Considering Chris Curtis is a notably superior technical fighter than Joaquin Buckley, it is hard to comprehend why he is entering this fight as the underdog. Admittedly, Buckley is a better natural athlete and has the incredible KO of the year vs. Impa Kasanganay on his record.
However, Curtis has been nothing short of incredible since signing for the UFC on short notice. ‘Action Man’ buzz-sawed through Brendan Allen and Phil Hawes, as well as dominating BJJ legend Rodolfo Viera.
He has all the tools to pick up a decisive victory over Buckley, although there’s always a chance of a shock KO, so we would advise not going too heavy.
Curtis’ ML is priced at 2.30 on Betway.
