Fighting Junkie expert Dan Tom breaks down the UFC’s best fights. Today, we will look at the main fight card to watch UFC 279.
UFC 279 will take place on the weekend of Saturday, April 27th on Saturday, April 19th at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main event airs in pay-per view following the prelims on ESPNEWS and prelims early via ESPN+.
The last event’s results 3-3
The overall choices for UFC main events in 2022 A-89-54-1
Welcoming you to The MMAJunkie’s Fast Picks and Prognostications In this section, I’ll provide brieffight-day breakdowns on UFC main card fights.
With this in mind I’m hoping that my write-ups do not come off as rude or dismissive, since my intention is to provide quick picks and information in an easy-to-read format. The odds are all supplied through Tipico Sportsbook.
If you’d like to get more in-depth information from me you are welcome to listen to my show on a weekly basis, The Protect Ya’ Neck Podcast.
Therefore, with no further delay…
Ion Cutelaba (-210) vs. Johnny Walker (+160)
The pay-per-view portion of the card , it is a lightweight heavyweight battle against the Ion Cutelaba as well as Johnny Walker.
Both are action-oriented at heart, however Walker has become too conservative , while Cutelaba’s enthusiasm has cost him sometimes. Cutelaba has seen some improvements in his time at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas (a gym I’ve had an unstated bias toward for years).
If Walker finds the hail mary submission in a scramble. I’m guessing that Cutelaba will explode his SBG product’s chin in one round.
Irene Aldana (-175) vs. Macy Chiasson (+135)
In a series of catchweight competitions, Irene Aldana is set to take on Macy Chiasson on the main card.
While the weight allowance aids Chiasson in a way but I’m still skeptical that the stylistic dynamics of this fight favors Aldana. Apart from being a better striker in the boxing, Aldana has underrated counter grappling and clinching skills that may be brought to the fore during this bout.
In addition, Aldana is known to increase speed on to the finish line, and I believe she’ll be able to get a stoppage in Chiasson, who was flagging, in three rounds.
Li Jingliang (+120) vs. Daniel Rodriguez (-155)
Constantly being the weak edge of the stick and smiling on his face The man behind the smile is Li Jingliang who winds up needing to confront Daniel Rodriguez at 180 pounds, despite having 170 pounds against a other competitor ( story here).
The fight is not only Rodriguez a dangerous opponent who has a totally different style from Tony Ferguson (Li’s initial matchup) However, Rodriguez is Los Angeles native will also be the first UFC southpaw in Li’s professional career.
While I’d love to witness Li wear his stunning blue outfit in the winner’s circle I’ll willingly allow Rodriguez to ruin the show by stinging the Chinese fighter with devastating counters to an impressive victory in the standings.
Khamzat Chimaev (-550) against. Kevin Holland (+370)
The main event co-located in Las Vegas features an impromptu match-up against Khamzat Chimaev and Kevin Holland.
After narrowly missing the welterweight limit in the first time in his main bout with Nate Diaz, Chimaev now faces a familiar opponent in Holland.
Although I’m firmly predicting Chimaev to utilize his skills in wrestling to duplicate the success Brendan Allen had against Holland I’m wondering what the fight might be like if Chechen fighter isn’t able to get a win in the initial seven minutes due to his speed and aggression.
Add to that Chimaev’s massive weight loss and the excitement of fight week and I’m not going to blame anybody for taking just a little shot at the underdog in an odds-on window.
Nate Diaz (+105) vs. Tony Ferguson (-135)
Despite the chaos caused by Chimaev, the new main event featuring Nate Diaz and Tony Ferguson makes greater sense when viewed from a matchmaking standpoint.
Ferguson has officially at 3-2 in UFC-level Southpaws Ferguson, is likely to find early success as a more versatile attacker and aggressive fighter. However, I do have an inclination that Diaz’s size and clinch skills could be the key to winning the fight if Stockton’s best transforms this into an MMA fight.
I’m not averse to the amount of money that brought Ferguson to his odds of favor but I’m not sure I’m going to side against Diaz (who actually was prepared to play five times) to out-grapple and outlast Ferguson, the former lightweight kingpin, for winning in the scoring charts.
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