UFC 213
Date: July 8, 2017
Arena: T-Mobile Arena
City: Las Vegas, NV
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is back home in Las Vegas, NV for International Fight Week with UFC 213: Nunes vs. Shevchenko II slated for this Saturday (July 8, 2017). The 12-fight card is scheduled to kick off with preliminary action at 6:30 p.m. (ET), which will continue on FOX Sports 1 at 8 p.m. The main card will get 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 top dog plays for UFC 213…
Heavyweight bout: Travis Browne (-220) vs. Aleksei Oliynyk (+180)
Gabe’s Thoughts: I agree with Browne being the betting favorite in this heavyweight contest, but I don’t quite agree with his current asking price of -220, as I think this matchup is closer than the current odds indicate. Despite being at a striking disadvantage, I think Oliynyk is capable of finishing Browne on the feet, largely in part due to his opponent not having a very good chin. We’ve seen before that the Ukrainian possesses some wild, one-punch knockout power. Of course Browne is the more likely fighter to win by T/KO here, but I think that is a realistic outcome for both fighters. The same goes for submissions. Oliynyk is more likely to earn a submission victory here, but I think Browne is capable of submitting him as well. “Hapa” has a very underrated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu game, and it would not surprise me to see him catch anybody on the mat. Because he always opts to strike though, we don’t usually get to see his ground game.
Gabe’s Call: Browne by T/KO (strikes, (1:46 round 1)
Gabe’s Recommended Play: Oliynyk (+180)
Middleweight bout: Thiago Santos (-145) vs. Gerald Meerschaert (+125)
Gabe’s Thoughts: Santos is the superior striker heading into this 185-pound matchup, but Meerschaert is the superior grappler and the better fighter in my opinion. I think the Duke Roufus-trained fighter is capable of finishing this fight by submission as well as by T/KO, despite being at a striking disadvantage against the Brazilian. He packs some power in his hands, and Santos does not have the best chin, so I could see Meerschaert connecting and putting him away. I believe Meerschaert should be a -180 betting favorite in this matchup, so I love him for a play at his current offering underdog price of +125.
Gabe’s Call: Meerschaert by Submission (arm triangle choke, 3:04 round 1)
Gabe’s Recommended Play: Meerschaert (+125)
