Another weekend in the UFC comes around Saturday, and a familiar face returns in Seattle for Fight Night.
One of the best fighters in middleweight history, Israel Adesanya, headlines for the promotion against Joe Pyfer.
We have 12 fights to dive into this weekend, and an obscene eight of them are projected to end inside the distance, according to the oddsmakers.
It all begins at 5 p.m. ET on Paramount+ with the prelims, while the main card will kick off slightly earlier than normal at 8 p.m. ET.
UFC Fight Night Seattle predictions
Israel Adesanya vs. Joe Pyfer
The question of the fight is: How much does Israel Adesanya have left in the tank?
For 95 percent of Adesanya’s career, he would mop the floor with Joe Pyfer.
Adesanya has lost three straight fights against solid competition and the last two were by finish.
Speed and durability seem to be deteriorating for the superstar middleweight, so it’s really tough to dive into this fight, considering Adesanya easily wins this fight at his peak.
Adesanya is only 36 years old, but he has 29 UFC fights and over 100 kickboxing fights.
So, there’s more wear and tear than even his age says.
Adesanya has been on the decline for a long time, and he is coming off a brutal knockout to Nassourdine Imavov.
Still, Adesanya finds himself as a favorite in this bout (-148), while Pyfer comes back as the underdog.
Pyfer has pretty suspect cardio and is hittable on the feet.
However, he can grapple a bit and he can crack opponents with hard strikes to the feet.
Perhaps Adesanya can avoid hard strikes on the feet, but I can’t bank on that.
We’re targeting the underdog. While Pyfer isn’t the best fighter, I really don’t think we’ve seen the bottom of Adesanya’s game at this point in his career.
PREDICTION: Pyfer moneyline (+125, Caesars Sportsbook)
Alexa Grasso vs. Maycee Barber
Former champion Alexa Grasso returns to women’s flyweight against Maycee Barber.
Barber was long considered an excellent prospect in the division, but injuries and weight-cutting concerns were among the biggest reasons why she hasn’t reached her potential.
Barber is a rightful favorite here, as Grasso was once a champion but has struggled to get her game to a point where it feels like she’s been figured out.
I don’t expect Grasso to have an edge on the feet or in the grappling – I think Barber has her covered everywhere.
The best line on Barber’s moneyline is -163 at Kalshi, and I think that’s a fair price and the bet I’m targeting for the main event.
PREDICTION: Barber moneyline (-163, Kalshi)
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UFC Fight Night Seattle full card picks
Michael Chiesa vs. Niko Price: Chiesa by KO/TKO (13/1, BetRivers)
Julian Erosa vs. Lerryan Douglas: Pass
Mansur Abdul-Malik vs. Yousri Belgaroui: Abdul-Malik ML (-115, BetMGM)
Terrance McKinney vs. Kyle Nelson: Live bet Nelson after round one or Nelson by decision (13/1, FanDuel) pre-fight.
Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Tofiq Musayev: Bahamondes by decision (+310, FanDuel)
Chase Hooper vs. Lance Gibson Jr.: Hooper -295 ML for parlays
Marcin Tybura vs. Tyrell Fortune: Fight goes the distance (+250, bet365)
Casey O’Neill vs. Gabriella Fernandes: Fight goes the distance (-195, BetRivers)
Navajo Stirling vs. Bruno Lopes: Stirling by decision (+450, Fanatics Sportsbook)
Ricky Simon vs. Adrian Yanez: Yanez by decision (+360, BetRivers)
Alexia Thainara vs. Bruna Brasil: Fight goes the distance (-174, FanDuel)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Erich Richter is a brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt but he has a black belt in MMA betting. During the football season he’s showcased massive profits at The Post in the player prop market the last two seasons. While constantly betting long shots, his return on investment is 30.15 percent since 2022.
