Frankie Edgar is set to come back into the octagon after a several months of inactivity. Will he be able to make a successful return against a dangerous opponent in the form of Brian Ortega? Read on for our previews of each fight of this event’s fight card.
Betting Preview for UFC 222 – Featuring the Brian Ortega vs Frankie Edgar Featherweight Bout on March 3, 2018
Sure, Brian Ortega is the underdog in this fight, but bettors need to know that he’s has yet to lose in a professional fight. So far in his pro career, the 27-year-old native of Los Angeles is 13-0-0 with one no contest. In his most recent outing, he beat Cub Swanson via a round two submission last December. Ortega’s showing in that fight earned him a Performance of the Night honors, but beating someone like Frankie Edgar this coming weekend is going to make that award pale in comparison. Edgar has been around the UFC for a long time, as he owns a 21-5-1 record, and he was a former champion himself. His last fight, however, happened way back in May of last year (a TKO win over Yair Rodriguez), so sharpness could be an issue for him. In any case, this is going to be an explosive matchup between an up-and-comer and a grizzled veteran of this bloody sport.
When you go by the name Cyborg, you got to have the game to go with it. That’s what Cris Cyborg exactly has, as the reigning champ is still undefeated in the UFC with a 4-0 record. She was last seen inside the octagon pummeling Holy Holm on her way to a unanimous decision win last December – Cyborg’s first defense of the title she won when she beat Tonya Evinger in July of last year. As for Yana Kunitskaya, she’s not just here to make money out of a rare appearance underneath a brighter light. Having said that, the owner of a 10-3-0 1 NC record does not seem to have that much of a chance against Cyborg, as she is a huge +1,000 underdog in this fight. Then again, we’ve seen crazy stuff happen before in the UFC.
WRITER’S PREDICTION: Cyborg destroys, mauls, pounds, Kunitskaya in the first round.
The towering Stefan Struve is looking to get back into his winning ways after getting ambushed last September by Alexander Volkov, who knocked out the seven-footer in the third round. Prior to that loss, Struve had won two straight fights, including a first-round TKO of Antonio Silva in May. Struve will be up against another veteran heavyweight in former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski. Arlovski simply wants to remain relevant in the division. He is coming off a unanimous decision win over Junior Albini last November, which ended a five-fight losing skid. A win over Struve will breather more oxygen to his flickering UFC career.
WRITER’S PREDICTION: Andrei Arlovski
Sean O’Malley vs. Andre Soukhamthath
Bantamweight
Chances are Sean O’Malley and Andre Soukhamthath are names even UFC fans will have a hard time putting faces on. Nevertheless, there’s promise in their fight to be one of the best this weekend. O’Malley has yet to get his record blemished, as he is is 9-0-0 in his career. Soukhamthath isn’t too shabby either with a 12-5-0 ledger. Soukhamthath poses a big threat to O’Malley’s unbeaten run, as the Asian Sensation has eight wins by knockout. O’Malley, meanwhile, has ended five fights inside the first round.
WRITER’S PREDICTION: O’Malley gets his 10th win in a row.
Cat Zingano vs. Ketlen Vieira
Bantamweight
Cat Zingano will enter the octagon this weekend after a long layoff. She last fought in March of last year – a unanimous loss at the hands of Juliana Pena — and who knows for sure how ready her body is for the upcoming showdown with Vieira. Then again, we just can’t count her out, especially with her power and experience. The 35-year-old Zingano has five wins by knockouts, and owns a 9-2-0 record. Vieira, on the other hand, is just 26, and clutches a 9-0-0 MMA record. Three of those wins came via first-round finishes.
WRITER’S PREDICTION: Vieira extends her win streak with a decision over Zingano.
