UFC Vegas 88 should be an interesting fight card with 14 fights.
Last week’s card was a disaster thanks to Marlon “Tito” Vera’s incredibly impressive chin, resulting in a knockout in the second round.
O’Malley ultimately won, but the prop lost, so we move on to the UFC APEX Center, where a number of veterans will once again face up-and-comers.
Due to last week’s poor performance, the overall record dropped significantly to 7 wins and 13 losses, and the annual profit decreased to just 3.91 units.
UFC Vegas 88 begins at 4pm ET, with prelims and the main card starting at 7pm ET, all on ESPN+.
UFC Vegas 88 predictions
Tai Tuivasa vs. Marcin Tybura
Tai Tuivasa is today’s Derrick Lewis. His power is amazing. He is resourceful and does little else.
But even a power-hungry fighter with minimal secondary talent can muscle his way to victory.
Not the worst skill set against a fighter like Marcin Tybura, but
Tybura has been knocked out numerous times in the past, including the aforementioned Tuivasa comp.
If Tybura can get past the early part of the second round, he could easily be -300 for this fight.
Getting there will be easier said than done considering his knockout losses to Augusto Sakai, Shamil Abdurakhimov and Ruiz.
I bet Tuivasa at +110 KO/TKO on DraftKings and hedge on Round 2 if Tybura survives.
choose: SGP: Tuivasa KO/TKO within 3.5 rounds (+120, DraftKings)
Gerald Meerschaert vs. Brian Barbarena Prediction
Another interesting matchup is two veterans facing off in a fun match that seems destined to end within striking distance.
Meerschaert is best known for his flatline KO by Khamzat Chimaev in 2021 when he was on the verge of winning. Since then, the UFC’s all-time submission leader has actually racked up some impressive wins.
Their most recent common opponent was Mahmud Muradov, a fighter who easily defeated Barbarena with grappling, but Meerschaert submitted.
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Two of Barbarena’s last three fights (all losses) have come by submission, so I expect the same here.
choose: Sent by Meerschaert (+130, BetRivers)
