UFC 212: Aldo vs. Holloway
Date: June 3, 2017
Arena: Jeunesse Arena
City: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is set to return to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the eighth time in promotional history this Saturday (June 3, 2017) with UFC 212: Aldo vs. Holloway. The 12-fight card is scheduled to kick off with preliminary card action on UFC Fight Pass at 6:30 p.m. ET. Prelims will continue on FOX Sports 1 at 8 p.m., with the main card getting underway on Pay-Per-View at 10 p.m. If interested in wagering on any bouts for this fight card, all betting lines are available at Several Bookmakers.
Here are my plays:
Featherweight title bout: Jose Aldo (-145) vs. Max Holloway (+125)
Gabe’s Thoughts: I think it’s Holloway’s time. I see him pushing the pace in this bout and outstriking Aldo for the majority of five rounds to pick up a unanimous-decision victory on the judges’ scorecards, potentially securing a T/KO stoppage along the way. I think Holloway gets his hand raised then calls out Conor McGregor and demands for the UFC to go to Hawaii. At +125, I think he is the right side for a wager in this matchup, as I believe he should be slightly favored heading in.
Gabe’s Call: Holloway by Unanimous Decision (49-46, 49-46, 50-45)
Gabe’s Recommended Play: Holloway (+125)
Middleweight bout: Vitor Belfort (-160) vs. Nate Marquardt (+140)
Gabe’s Thoughts: I’m gonna make a crazy prediction and say that Belfort wins a decision in his last fight. He doesn’t go for the knockout, but instead fights smart and picks up a win on points, going out on top with his hand raised. I’m not confident that’s how things will play but, but I can certainly see it. There is a very good chance that this fight ends by finish, and by either party, as neither middleweight is the most durable. At this point in their respective careers, they do not respond well to damage, so the first to crack could be the victor by T/KO. Marquardt also has the potential of submitting Belfort, who himself has a solid submission game, but I wouldn’t expect that to happen. This fight is most likely to end by finish, and it is a coin-flip whether that finish could come early or late. At +175, I think there is value on the Total of Over 1.5 rounds here in this contest, and I like it for a wager.
Gabe’s Call: Belfort by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Gabe’s Recommended Play: Over 1.5 rounds (+175)
