UFC on FOX 22: VanZant vs Waterson Date: December 17, 2016 Arena: Golden 1 Center City: Sacramento, CA The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to Sacramento, CA for the fifth time in promotional history with UFC on FOX 22: VanZant vs Waterson. The 13 fight card is set to kick off with Fight Pass prelims at 3:30pm ET, and prelminary action will continue on FOX Sports 1 at 5pm. The main card will be live on FOX at 8pm. If interested in wagering on these plays, or any plays for this fight card, all betting lines will be made available at Several Bookmakers. Here are my live dogs: Welterweight title bout: James Moontasri (+105) vs Alex Morono (-125) Gabe’s Thoughts: I believe Moontasri is the superior striker heading into this 170-pound contest and I expect him to get the better of Morono on the feet. Morono has a Muay Thai background but is not nearly as crisp and technical on the feet as Moontasri, who owns black belts in both Muay Thai and Taekwondo. Morono may have an edge in grappling in this bout, howeer Moontasri has solid takedown defense and I think he will be able to keep the fight upright. When taken down, he also does a good job of working his way back to his feet. Morono will start out wanting to strike but may eventually be forced into initiating the wrestling, as I expect Moontasri to have a field day against him on the feet. Morono has a tendancy of getting wild with his punches, and I think that is something Moontasi can capitalize on and potentially put Morono away. Morono has a good chin but I think Moontasri is capable of putting him away. If Morono’s chin holds up, I think Moontasri outstrikes him for a unanimous decision victory on the judges’ scorecards. The main concern would be Moontasri’s cardio, as he has a tendancy to gas halfway through his fights. Though that is generally against grapplers who he spends a lot of time defending takedowns against. Against someone willing to stand with him, his cardio may not be an issue. Gabe’s Call: Moontasri by T/KO (strikes, 1:42 round 1) Gabe’s Recommended Play: Moontasri (+105) 3u to win 3.15u Flyweight bout: Fredy Serrano (-105) vs Hector Sandoval (-115) Gabe’s Thoughts: I think Serrano should be a -160 betting favorite heading into this 125-pound contest, so I like him for a play at his current offering price of -105. He has Olympic level wrestling and packs serious power in his hands, which is a recipe that could spell for trouble against Team Alpha Male’s Sandoval, who has been dominated and finished every time he’s faced a step up in competition. I would not be surprised to see Sandoval pull off the win in front of his home crowd, however at the current odds, I think the betting value is with Serrano and I’ll have to side with him for a play. Gabe’s Call: Serrano by T/KO (punches, 4:02 round 1) Gabe’s Recommended Play: Serrano (-105) 2.1u to win 2u
