UFC Vegas 44 is headlined by a bantamweight bout between Rob Font and the legend Jose Aldo. Both men will need a win to remain relevant in the incredibly competitive 135lb title picture. We break down the bantamweight banger on our latest podcast which you can check out here:
With that being said, here are some UFC Vegas 44 betting tips to help you win big this weekend.
UFC Vegas 44 Betting Tips
Jose Aldo to win via decision (+310)
Rob Font (19-4) established himself as the No.4-ranked bantamweight contender with a dominant victory over former champ Cody Garbrandt in May. Font is an excellent boxer whose jab will cause Aldo problems throughout the bout, but he will have to be prepared to utilise a well-rounded skillset if he wants to get his hand raised Saturday night. Aldo is a deceptively good grappler and will be able to make reads on Font unless he keeps his offence varied, instead of relying too heavily on his hands.
Aldo (30-7) comes into this contest as the betting underdog for the first time since his loss to Petr Yan in July 2020. However, there are plenty of stylistic reasons for the Brazillian to be confident in securing a victory. Font’s boxing style will leave him vulnerable to Aldo’s signature leg kicks, reducing his mobility in the later rounds. Aldo will likely start to fade in the championship rounds, but investing in leg strikes will help even the playing field deep into this contest. It is also worth noting that Aldo’s boxing offence and defence have become severely underrated due to some tough losses, but his counterstriking will certainly be difficult for Font to handle for the entire 25 minutes.
Font has never been knocked out in his career and has only been submitted once. Considering Aldo has the tools to be victorious in this matchup, and his recent lack of finishing ability, backing “Junior” to win by decision is a great bet for this main event. Therefore, Aldo via decision is the first pick of these UFC Vegas 44 betting tips.
Brad Riddell to win via decision (+180)
The co-main event of the evening guarantees fireworks when Brad Riddell (10-1) faces off against Rafael Fiziev (10-1). Both men are exciting prospects in the lightweight division and would entrench themselves as future contenders with a win.
Rafael Fiziev has been setting the UFC alight since a debut loss to Magomed Mustafaev. A knockout win over Renato Moicano threw him into the mainstream limelight and he will be looking to add fuel to his hype train against the most decorated opponent of his short UFC career. Fiziev is a great striker, consistently kicking off of punches and vice-versa. However, in his most recent bout against Bobby Green, his striking defence was proven to be sub-standard. He was unable to avoid the fast hands of Green on numerous occasions and only narrowly won via decision.
Brad Riddell is a fantastic kickboxer who is currently riding a seven-fight win streak, including a fight of the night UFC debut against Jamie Mullarkey. He will hope to match the speed of Green and catch Fiziev during positional resets. Neither man will be looking to grapple, so this bout should take place largely on the feet.
On the whole, both men are relatively evenly matched. However, Riddell may have the better fundamentals and therefore edge this one. Fiziev’s cardio also looked pretty poor in the third round against Green, an issue that he must solve if he wants to get his hand raised. On the whole, Riddell is a very attractive pick as an underdog and therefore Riddell via decision is the second choice of these UFC Vegas 44 betting tips.
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