UFC 248 goes down in Las Vegas, Nevada, and features Israel Adeyesana’s first defence of his middleweight title. On a night featuring many fascinating fights, here are some UFC 248 betting tips to help you win big next weekend.
UFC 248 Betting Tips
1. Deron Winn (-140) vs. Gerald Meerschaert (+120)
Both Gerald Meerschaert (30-12) and Deron Winn (6-1) will be aiming to return to the win column in a must-win matchup for both men.
In his last bout, Winn lost to British middleweight Darren Stewart via split decision. Winn is a three-time All American at Lindenwood University and was expected to comfortably see off Stewart. However, Steward utilized his six-inch height advantage and showed improved takedown defence to stifle any meaningful offence from Winn.
Meerschaert is a serial finisher, with 22 wins via submission. ‘GM3’ has great variety in his grappling, if Winn is not cautious he could easily wrestle himself into a fight-ending choke. Meerschaert has, however, shown questionable cardio throughout his UFC career. Winn has never won via submission, meaning it is unlikely he will add to Meerschaert’s eight submission losses.
Meerschaert looked good against a strong Eryk Anders in his last bout, which certainly must be taken into account. On balance, Meerschaert is a solid underdog pick and his UFC miles may prove the deciding factor in this bout.
Tip – Gerald Meerschaert to win
2. Israel Adesanya (-260) vs. Yoel Romero (+220)
Yoel Romero (13-4) has lost his last two bouts via razor-tight decisions. Despite this recent slide, the UFC has given him the opportunity to fight the unbeaten Adesanya (18-0) for the middleweight strap.
Romero has a lot of championship experience, going five rounds twice with ex-champion Robert Whittaker. Romero is an Olympic silver medalist in freestyle wrestling and given that Adeyesana’s weakness undoubtedly lies in his grappling, Romero’s path to victory certainly lies on the matt. Adeyesana has shown impressive takedown defence throughout his UFC career. This was particularly evident against Derek Brunson, but Romero will be the greatest test of his takedown defence to date.
Romero is one of the most impressive physical specimens in mixed martial arts, and absolutely has the power to knock out any fighter on the roster. In recent bouts, Romero’s striking has been technical and measured. However, against Paulo Costa, he threw caution to the wind and was dropped as a result of this bravery. Against a precision striker with Adeyesana, any such mistakes will lead to a world of punishment for Romero.
Although stylistically Romero has a fantastic chance against Adeyesana, it is almost impossible to pick against ‘The Last Stylebender’. Adeyesana’s knockout of Whittaker was nothing short of spectacular, and if he is able to continue to stay unpredictable and develop his skill set, he should be able to beat Romero in what promises to be a classic contest.
Tip – Israel Adesanya to win
3. Beneil Dariush (-165) vs. Drakkar Klose (+145)
Beneil Dariush (17-4-1) and Drakkar Klose (11-1-1) were originally scheduled to fight in UFC Sacramento in July, but the pair have been rebooked for a showdown at UFC 248. In order to stand out in the stacked lightweight division, both men will be looking for a special performance in Las Vegas.
Klose has proven to be something of a decision machine in the UFC. All six of his UFC appearances have been left in the hands of the judges. Considering the fact that Dariush has been viciously knocked out on numerous occasions, ‘Benny’ will be delighted to see that Klose has lacked that finishing touch in recent contests. That is not to say that Klose is not an excellent striker. Klose has beaten many high-profile strikers throughout his UFC career, demonstrating some impressive technique.
In his second-last octagon appearance, Dariush subbed the surging Drew Dober in a phenomenal comeback. Dariush is a well-rounded fighter and will look to pressure Klose with wrestling offence to build upon his three-fight win streak. Dariush has won eight fights via submission and will be confident on the matt in this fight. Although Dariush is a slight favourite, he has more paths to victory in this bout and is a solid betting choice at UFC 248.
Tip – Beneil Dariush to win
