UFC 217
Date: November 4
Arena: Madison Square Garden
City: New York City, NY
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is back in New York City for the third time in promotional history with UFC 217: Bisping vs. St. Pierre. The stacked 12-fight card is set to kick off with prelims on UFC Fight Pass at 6:30 p.m. ET. Preliminary action will continue on FOX Sports 1 at 8 p.m., with the main card firing off on Pay Per View at 10 p.m. If interested in wagering on any bouts for these fight cards, all betting lines are made available at Several Bookmakers.
Here are my live dogs:
Middleweight bout: Paulo Borrachinha (-230) vs. Johny Hendricks (+190)
Gabe’s Thoughts: The Brazilian could end up having a very bright future inside the Octagon, but I think this is a bad stylistic matchup for him at this point in his career. Despite being at a size disadvantage and on a decline, I think Hendricks still has the tools to defeat Borrachinha. He is the superior wrestler heading into this 185-pound contest, so despite being the smaller fighter, I think he will still manage to find success with his takedowns and ground game. Borrachinha may keep finding his way back to his feet, as he is strong and could be hard to keep down, but I think Hendricks will keep putting him back on his back every time he gets back up. Hendricks does not have the best gas tank but I think he will have the superior conditioning in this bout, and I expect that to be another key to victory for him, as I see the Brazilian fading in rounds two and three, which will allow Hendricks to cruise to a unanimous decision or a potential late stoppage.
Gabe’s Call: Hendricks by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Gabe’s Recommended Play: Hendricks (+190)
Welterweight bout: Randy Brown (-120) vs. Mickey Gall (+100)
Gabe’s Thoughts: I think Gall should be a -150 betting favorite in this 170-pound matchup, so I see value in him at his current offering price of +100. I believe he is the superior grappler of the two heading into this contest and I see him managing to put Brown on his back. I won’t be surprised to see Gall find the submission finish here, but I think a win on the scorecards is slightly more likely. If the fight stays standing, I do lean Brown but it could be anybody’s fight, but Gall gets the grappling edge for sure, and I am fairly confident he will manage to put Brown on his back.
Gabe’s Call: Gall by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Gabe’s Recommended Play: Gall (+100)
