UFC Oklahoma City: Du Plessis vs Usman Fight Predictions and Betting Analysis

Welcome to our collaborative coverage of UFC Oklahoma City: Du Plessis vs Usman. After we scored well in the McGregor vs Holloway 2 card last weekend, the event this week features good action and a very competitive headliner. Be sure to check out our full reasoning for every pick as our records will not reflect confidence in each selection. We will be picking every fight, but likely only recommend betting on a select few. 

Current Record 2026

• Anthony: 188-84-4 (Last Year 331-183-3, 64%)
• Nick: 181-91-4 (Last Year 326-188-3, 63%)

*Fight odds were last updated from bet365 on 7-17-2026 at 11am EST

UFC Oklahoma City Preliminary Card Odds, Predictions, Breakdown

Preliminary Card- Starts 5:00pm EST

Damien Anderson -130 vs Ezra Elliott +110

• Anthony: The first fight is a shot notice matchup between Damien Anderson and Ezra Elliott. It seems like this opportunity came together for Elliott fighting on the same card as several teammates from the MMA Lab. He is a very skilled prospect with great grappling and offensive jiu jitsu. Elliott normally hunts for takedowns very early and brings his opponents to the ground. Here he is facing an opponent that can reverse him or at the very least stay safe in most positions. This will also be the debut for Anderson who is 5-0 professionally. Anderson is known for his grappling as well, wrestling collegiately for Rutgers. He is now representing Craig Jones’ B-Team as the head of their gym in Austin. I am expecting to see a high-pace grappling match between these talented athletes. Both have won by finish in each of their professional fights. The winner of this fight will likely be determined by the fighter in better shape and more prepared to scramble aggressively. Elliott might have the slight advantage striking but I am doubtful that these two decide to just stand and trade. I am expecting both to look durable here appearing with limited time to prepare. Both are sound defensive fighters and likely to win fights moving forward in the promotion. These odds are great and I would be betting on Elliott here even if he was a slight favorite. Ezra Elliott by Decision 
• Nick: Damien Anderson will be making his UFC debut here. He is 29 years old and 5-0 professionally. Anderson is a credentialed BJJ player as he has spent years competing in no-gi BJJ competitions. He has spent extensive time training with an excellent camp in B-Team Jiu-Jitsu. Four of his five professional wins have come via submission and while he certainly prefers to grapple in most of his fights, his striking seems to be improving at a rapid rate. Ezra Elliott will also be making his UFC debut here, with a 7-0 professional record at 29 years old. Elliott is primarily a grappler with a strong wrestling base. He trains out of an excellent camp via MMA Lab in Arizona and all seven of his professional wins have come via finish. He has dominated most of his regional opponents so he is a tough fighter to get a read on, but he should be the bigger fighter in this match-up with the better positional wrestling ability. That being said, Andersen has the superior BJJ and he seems to be more developed as a striker. This is a volatile match-up between talented newcomers, but I slightly prefer the Andersen side as the more proven and well-rounded of the two. Damien Anderson by Round Two KO

Dione Barbosa -650 vs Anna Melisano +475

• Anthony: Next is a flyweight matchup between Dione Barbosa and Anna Melisano. This is the debut for Melisano who is appearing here on short notice in place of Veronica Hardy. Barbosa is a massive favorite in this fight likely due to a large skill gap grappling. Melisano is known more for her boxing and high output on offense. Here she will be tasked with defending against Barbosa who averages 2.40 takedowns per bout. Barbosa does not have very powerful or accurate striking, but she will be much stronger than Barbosa here through grappling positions. Melisano’s size is a great asset but that could also result in many trips and easy returns back down to the mat. The underdog may appear to be tempting here but she has yet to face anyone nearly this good at jiu jitsu. Barbosa is also going to have a few opportunities here to submit Melisano after each of these takedowns. The boxer has done well staying safe in general but that was when facing mediocre regional opponents. Bettors have continued to hammer Barbosa and she is now approaching the biggest betting favorite on the card. It seems like too much asking Melisano to win here on such short notice. Dione Barbosa by Decision
• Nick: Dione Barbosa is 34 years old and 9-4 professionally, most recently securing a decision win over a tough out in Melissa Gatto. She looks to grapple in most of her fights. She has dangerous offensive BJJ, but on the feet she seems to take a lot of damage in exchanges. She is 3-2 in the UFC, and it seems her skills have now developed to a point where she can compete as a borderline ranked fighter at flyweight. Anna Melisano will be making her UFC debut here, taking this fight on short notice for the injured Veronica Hardy. Melisano is 29 years old and 6-1 professionally. She enters this fight on a six fight win streak, with each of her last three wins coming via finish. She’s been taking on a decent level of regional promotion having primarily fought for Fury FC, but she is moving up a weight class here. At strawweight Melisano usually has a notable size and strength advantage, but against Barbosa here it is tough to say that will hold true. In this particular match-up she’d be wise to try to keep things standing and fight Barbosa at range. She has solid cardio and durability, but if she finds herself on her back it could be difficult for her to stay in the fight against a superior grappler in Barbosa. Melisano is going to be outsized and outclassed in this one. She can keep things close at striking range, but I expect Barbosa knows better than letting this fight stay there for long. Dione Barbosa by Round One Submission

Alvin Hines -140 vs RJ Harris +115

• Anthony: This is a fight at heavyweight with RJ Harris facing Alvin Hines. It is the promotional debut for Harris who is appearing here on very short notice. The former LFA fighter is undefeated and an intriguing addition to this weight class. Harris is very tall for a heavyweight and at the advantage in this fight in terms of his size. He is an efficient striker that can use his jab well but overall I am not impressed watching the tape on Harris. Hines has proven to have an iron chin and it would surprise me to see Harris wobble or knock him down today. The path to victory for Harris comes in a competitive and back and forth fight. He is slick when it comes to threatening submissions and finishing heavyweight fighters with his chokes. Hines would prefer to stay in control of this matchup by keeping top position or just forcing Harris to strike. Hines is an intimidating fighter that moves forward but he also does not seem to have overwhelming power. He proved to be very tough in his UFC debut and against Harris I very much like his chances to earn a win. Hines will take over in this fight throughout rounds two and three. Alvin Hines by Round Two KO
• Nick: Alvin Hines is 34 years old and 7-1 professionally. He’s one of the main training partners of formally ranked heavyweight Thomas Petersen, and he’s spent most of his career fighting for a respectable regional promotion in LFA. He’s relatively well rounded with three wins via KO and three via submission, but he seems to find most of his success on the feet. He throws a lot of volume for a heavyweight and he does a good job mixing kicks into his combinations. He gave a decent showing of himself in his UFC debut loss to Jhonata Diaz, but following that fight he tested positive for anabolic steroids. RJ Harris will be making his UFC debut here, taking this fight on short notice for the injured  Allen Frye Jr. Harris is 27 years old and 5-0 professionally. Standing at 6’ 6” he is big even for a heavyweight. He is relatively well rounded, but most of his success has come via his offensive grappling and submission ability. He has a series of dangerous front chokes, he’s capable of wrestling in certain match-ups and while his striking is far from refined he continues to show improvements from fight to fight. This is a relatively low level match-up which makes it volatile on paper. Still, I do see Hines as the rightful favorite. He seems to be the higher volume striker in this match-up, which should be enough for him to edge this out on the scorecards. These are two durable heavyweights, and neither really seems to have true one-shot knockout power. Alvin Hines by Decision

Alden Coria -1100 vs Stewart Nicoll +700

• Anthony: This is a fight at flyweight between Stewart Nicoll and Alden Coria. It seems that the UFC wants to continue to build Coria who won in both of his first fights. He is the biggest betting favorite on this card and really I expect him to walk through Nicoll who is conversely 0-3 in the promotion. We have seen before that Nicoll is hittable to the body and the head. Coria trains at 4oz Fight Club in Houston, Texas alongside the champion Joshua Van. He blends top tier boxing and muay thai while also staying very composed defensively. Nicoll will certainly pursue takedowns in this fight in an attempt to slow down Coria. I do not expect Nicoll to find much success wrestling as Coria has so far done very well defending opponents’ shots. He has the advantage here in terms of height and reach facing Nicoll. The jab will be key to keep distance against Nicoll and make sure that he cannot easily shoot in. I anticipate that Coria’s hand speed and high-pressure boxing will be too much for Nicoll to handle. Coria should especially come on in rounds two and three here in pursuit of a knockout. Nicoll will not be able to chase him around the cage while absorbing so much damage. Alden Coria by Round Two KO
• Nick: Alden Coria is 12-3 professionally and 28 years old. He was somewhat inconsistent earlier in his career, but he has taken on a quality level of regional opponents having primarily fought for LFA and Fury FC. Cora can be dangerous everywhere offensively, with five of his eleven professional wins coming via KO and four coming via submission. He’s entering this match-up on a three fight win streak and he is now 2-0 under the UFC banner. His striking is crisp offensively and it seems he’s still making major improvements from fight to fight. He fights at a torrid pace, he has solid cardio and durability, and he’s taking a step down in competition here against Stewart Nicoll. Stewart Nicoll has primarily fought for Beatdown Promotions, a relatively small regional promotion out of Australia. Nicoll finds a lot of his success striking at range and he has decent power for a flyweight. That being said his grappling is where he can outshine most opponents, as he has underrated BJJ and his wrestling seems to be improving. That being said, he is 0-3 in the UFC and he hasn’t been able to find any sort of success now that he’s taking on quality competition. The price feels a bit inflated here, but this is actually a step down in competition for Coria. Nicoll has dangerous BJJ, but beyond that I expect Coria to dominate here. He should be able to mostly keep this fight standing until he finds another timely knockout. Alden Coria by Round Two KO

Levi Rodrigues -150 vs Felipe Franco +125

• Anthony: This will be a light heavyweight matchup with Levi Rodrigues Junior facing Felipe Franco. I am not going to bet on this fight as I view it as a near coinflip. These are very low level Brazilian fighters that have yet to earn any real valuable victories. Rodrigues got it done on Dana White’s Contender Series against Freddy Vidal but that win was overturned due to a positive drug test. Franco lost in his UFC appearance this March but that was a fight at heavyweight against Mario Pinto. Franco has good size for this division but that is about it. His defensive awareness is very poor and apart from a flurry early in round one he normally does not fight well later on. Rodrigues is seemingly more of an athlete with real knockout power in his hands. His base in muay thai is clear and despite the positive steroid test I expect that he will outperform Franco on most nights. This brawl will probably end inside of the fight’s first two rounds with a thrilling knockout or club and sub. Rodrigues seems to have the durability and effective striking to carve out more of a career than Franco but I do not advise betting on him here. Levi Rodrigues by Round Two KO
• Nick: Levi Rodrigues Jr. will be making his UFC debut here, coming off a KO win on Contender Series over Freddy Vidal. His win was turned to a No Contest after he failed a drug test for Nandrolone Metabolites, but the UFC is still giving him a chance here after serving a lengthy suspension. Rodrigues is primarily a striker, with all five of his professional wins coming via KO. Rodrigues Jr. has a long reach, and he fights well both at range and in the clinch. He has true one shot KO power, but his cardio and durability are both worth questioning as he’ll be performing without PEDs for the first time in his career. Felipe Franco is 10-2 professionally at 25 years old, coming off a hard fought loss to Mario Pinto in his UFC debut. Franco took that fight up a weight class and on short notice, and he gave a decent showing of himself as he managed to keep things close and survive until the scorecards. All of his wins have come via Round One finish, and he has the ability to finish fights both on the mat and at striking range. While his regional resume is questionable at best, he elevated his stock in his UFC debut and it seems his well rounded skill set can make him a difficult matchup for several fighters on the roster at Light Heavyweight. This is a relatively low level match-up, but I do prefer the Rodrigues Jr. side. Franco is athletic, but generally tentative. I expect Rodrigues Jr. to be the aggressor here, and that should be enough for him to secure a win here in his debut. Levi Rodrigues by Round Two KO

Seok Hyeon Ko -210 vs Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani +170

• Anthony: Next is a fight at welterweight between Seok Hyeon Ko and Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani. These are two of the more complete athletes on the preliminary portion of this card. Ko has showcased his ability already winning in both of his octagon appearances. He has done very well largely wrestling against his opponents and holding them to rack up control time. Ko is a moderate favorite in this fight because he has already had a lot of success facing off with other wrestlers. Lebosnoyani will be challenging Ko in these areas, pursuing his own takedowns and looking for a lot of frequent reversals. Although both men are skilled wrestlers I would not anticipate either winning via submission. Each has shown proper defense of submission attempts. It is unlikely that either will dominate this fight with multiple rounds in complete control. On the feet, Lebosnoyani will be a bit more aggressive and high volume. He will switch stances throughout this fight against the southpaw Ko. I suggest taking a chance on Lebosnoyani as an underdog that can win here by landing the more effective shots. The judge’s scorecards will likely decide this fight and I think he can do enough to take two rounds away from Ko. Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani by Decision
• Nick: Seok Hyeon Ko is 13-2 professionally and 32-years old, with five of those twelve wins coming via knockout. He is relatively well-rounded, but most of his recent success has come through his grappling. He is 2-0 under the UFC banner, with solid wins over quality competition in Oban Elliott and most recently Phil Rowe. He has a decent understanding of footwork and he strikes well at range, but he doesn’t carry much power on the feet and he can be hittable in exchanges.   Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani is 10-2 and relatively well rounded with 5 wins coming via submission and three coming via KO. Lebosnoyani is an opportunistic finisher on the mat, but he prefers to strike at range. He fights out of a bladed stance, throwing a lot of kicks, but he often fights with his hands down which can make him a dangerous fighter to back with any sort of confidence. He is coming off a narrow decision win over Phil Rowe which came in his UFC debut. Seok Hyeon Ko should have a considerable grappling advantage here, and while Lebosnoyani is the better striker it seems to be by a narrow margin. I see KO as the rightful favorite, as he should manage to pull away here as long as he leans on a grappling heavy gameplan. Seok Hyeon Ko by Decision 

Jose Delgado -110 vs Austin Bashi -110

• Anthony: The featured prelim is a featherweight fight with Jose Delgado facing Austin Bashi. It is the second appearance this year for Delgado who is coming off a split decision against Andre Fili. Clearly time spent training at the MMA Lab has helped to develop Delgado into a more complete fighter but I still think there are some areas that he can be exposed. Opponents that put out high volume against Delgado tend to do well as he struggles to keep pace. Delgado is a bit dependent on the knockout, exploding into his punches early in the fight while attempting to score the first knockdown. It appeared to be another tough weight cut for Delgado here making the featherweight limit. Bashi has a decisive advantage grappling against Delgado here over the course of fifteen minutes. I do not think that Delgado is ready for a high pace bout, getting taken down over and over. He averaged just 50 percent takedown defense while Bashi is averaging 2.60 takedowns scored each round. Here it is going to be very difficult for Delgado to find any separation from Bashi. This fight is pickem for good reason but the outcome seems near binary. Delgado can finish Bashi via round one knockout but otherwise Bashi should wrestle his way to a very easy victory. I am betting on Bashi today at these odds and also investing in his takedown props. Austin Bashi by Decision
• Nick: Jose Delgado is 28 years-old and 11-2 professionally, coming off a narrow decision win over a tough out in Andre Fili. He’s well rounded, fighting out of an excellent camp via MMA Lab in Arizona. Delgado is an explosive striker who fights at a torrid pace. He’s extremely aggressive, which can make him vulnerable to counters. Additionally, his kill-or-be-killed style makes him a risky fighter to back as a favorite if he can’t finish his opponent quickly. He has a dangerous BJJ game if he finds himself on the mat, but it’s rare we see him aggressively chase takedowns. In this particular match-us, he’s likely going to do everything he can in order to keep the fight standing. Austin Bashi is 14-1 professionally and just 24-years old. He’s dangerous everywhere, with three wins coming via KO and six coming via submission. That being said, most of his success has come on the mat as he’s a credentialed wrestler with ever-improving BJJ. Bashi is an explosive athlete with a compact frame. He’s a skilled wrestler with solid durability. As talented as he is, he is still relatively inexperienced and ‘green’ in his general ability. His striking, whale improving, is still far from technical and he has shown to be hittable in lengthy exchanges. This is a binary match-up in which Delgado has a major striking advantage and Bashi has a major advantage on the mat. It’s with low confidence, but I prefer the Bashi side here as I expect he can take Delgado down both early and often. Austin Bashi by Decision

UFC 329 Main Card Odds, Predictions, Breakdown

Main Card- Starts 9:00pm EST

Tommy McMillen -175 vs Alberto Montes +140

• Anthony: Opening the main card is a great fight between exciting featherweights Tommy McMillen and Alberto Montes. This is a real matchup that will solidify the winner as a legitimate contender in this division very soon. Montes has been surgical so far in his first octagon appearance. The past four fights for Montes have all really been the same, snatching a front headlock early before finding his way to a finishing choke. Montes lacks quality takedown entries but he can finish submissions with the best of them. Montes is elite when it comes to using the d’arce choke and anaconda sequence, he has a catch that not many stand a chance of fighting out of. McMillen is confident in his own grappling, training under the tutelage of Tim Welch and Sean O’Malley. He is reckless when striking but very willing to stand and trade shots with his opponents. McMillen still has the confidence of a fighter that is 10-0 with nothing to lose. He should be at an advantage here striking, moving faster than Montes and better overall as a boxer. I expect that this fight will ultimately come down to Montes and his ability to threaten his anaconda choke. McMillen should be stuffing takedown entries from Montes early and doing everything in his power to keep ample space between them. I bet on McMillen at near even odds and I still would take him here at the current price. Tommy McMillen by Round Two KO
• Nick: Montes is 32 years old and 11-1 professionally. Montes is dangerous and competent everywhere, but his front choke series is what stands out about him when you watch him on film. Seven of his eleven professional wins have come via submission and he trains out of a solid upcoming camp via Goat Shed MMA. He secured an impressive win via submission over Ricky Turcois in his UFC debut, and he enters this fight on a four fight win streak with each of those wins coming via submission. Tommy McMillen is 28 years old and 10-0 professionally, coming off a KO win in his UFC debut which he secured over Manolo Zecchini.He’s known for being one of the main training partners of former UFC Bantamweight Champion Sean O’Malley. McMillen has a very long frame and is effective offensively at range. He’s an opportunistic submission grappler, with five of his ten professional wins coming via submission. He has solid cardio and durability, but he can be hittable in exchanges as he’s more than willing to eat shots to return strikes of his own. While effective offensively his striking is far from fundamental and as he starts to take on a higher level of opponent he’s likely to struggle in fights on the feet. McMillen’s style will make all of his fights volatile as he is a true kill-or-be-killed fighter. He has a power and durability advantage here, but Montes has the better process and is more technically sound. Another low confidence play, but if Montes’ chin and durability both hold up I expect he can eventually find a signature choke here. Alberto Montes by Round Two Submission

Fatima Kline -480 vs Tabatha Ricci +380

• Anthony: Next is a fight at women’s strawweight between Tabatha Ricci and Fatima Kline. This fight will likely play out much closer than these betting odds would suggest. I am tempted to take a chance on Ricci here but it seems like a very tough matchup in terms of Kline’s size and strength opposing her. Ricci does well when she is able to get her grappling going early on and against Kline that seems like a very big ask. Kline has a very solid base and much improved takedown defense. A lot of Kline’s recent success has come when opposing strikers but she is very well rounded and also capable of hurting Ricci on the feet. Ricci is a higher volume boxer but Kline connects with much more effective offense. Here with such a drastic reach advantage I imagine Kline will dominate when standing. Ricci will likely have some competitive scrambles here in round two and three but ultimately I am predicting Kline wins this bout rather handily. Ricci is a tough fighter with grit and a good motor, but I would be surprised to see her outperform these odds. She has a negative striking differential averaging 4.83 strikes absorbed each minute. Fatima Kline by Decision
• Nick: Fatima Kline is 9-1 professionally, and just 26-years old. She’s small for the division, but a gifted offensive grappler. She’s 3-1 in the UFC, coming off an impressive win over a tough out in Angela Hill. While it is true most of her success seems to come on the mat, her striking has improved considerably over her last few fights. It seems she’s rounding into her athletic prime, but she’s taking a step up in level of opponent here against Tabatha Ricci. Tabatha Ricci has solid cardio and can fight at a very fast pace. She’s well-rounded, but her BJJ and offensive grappling ability is certainly her most refined skill. Her wrestling and striking continue to show considerable improvement in each of her fights. As a result of her recent success, it seems the UFC is starting to put their marketing machine behind her. She is coming off a loss to Virna Jandiroba, but given her well-rounded skill set she is still a tough out for the majority of the division. The price feels wide here, but Kline will have advantageous is size, strength, and striking. Ricci should be competitive, but over the course of three rounds I expect her to take considerably more damage than her opponent. Fatima Kline by Decision

Chase Hooper -380 vs Mitch Ramirez +290

• Anthony: The featured bout is a matchup at lightweight with Mitch Raposo facing Chase Hooper. I have always been a fan of Hooper but now he sadly appears to be a fighter that cannot take a punch. Here he is a big favorite once again but in all three previous losses for Hooper he was finished by round one knockout after closing at -300 odds or worse. The advantage that Hooper has grappling in this fight is about as big as ever facing a boxer in Ramirez. This is a matchup where Hooper should fight into the clinch and initiate grappling immediately because his elite jiu jitsu is so much more advanced than Ramirez. He has always struggled to find safe entries into takedowns and that is why he should not be trusted at these odds. Ramirez would surprise a lot of people by winning here but he actually does have tight boxing and good power for this weight. He is not a lamb to slaughter here in the featured bout as he actually does possess the one tool he needs to cash as a big underdog. This fight will end by either Hooper submission or a Ramirez TKO. I do not expect this would go to the scorecards since both men cannot stay safe from their kryptonite for a full three rounds. Chase Hooper by Round Two Submission
• Nick: Chase Hooper has extremely advanced grappling ability for a 26-year old. Eight of Hooper’s sixteen professional wins have come via submission.  In many of Hooper’s past fights he was dramatically outclassed on the feet, but he does seem to be improving in that area. On the mat his long limbs provide him an excellent base for BJJ, and when his fights hit the ground he’s as creative as he is dangerous offensively. While talented, he does enter this fight on a two fight loss streak having been KO’d in both of those fights. Ramirez is 8-3 professionally, 33-years old, fighting out of a well known camp via Syndicate MMA. He is 0-2 in the UFC, coming off a KO loss to a tough out in Mike Davis. Ramirez is scrappy, but he really hasn’t found much success against top level opponents. He’s aggressive and generally dangerous, but he’s hittable in lengthy exchanges and his defensive grappling ability leaves a lot to be desired. This price has gotten out of hand, but Hooper has to be the side here. Ramirez will be live for an early KO, but Hooper has a major size and grappling advantage and this fight represents a major step down for him in terms of level of competition. Chase Hooper by Round Two Submission

Christian Leroy Duncan -380 vs Jared Cannonier +290

• Anthony: In the co-main event Jared Cannonier will be facing Christian Leroy Duncan at middleweight. This bout would give Duncan significant momentum beating a staple of the division such as Cannonier. He has already earned one victory in 2026 after two highlight wins last year. Duncan is a very skilled striker that fights well when switching stances. He uses high length correctly, constantly jabbing and hitting the opponent with low kicks. Cannonier normally fights with a very defensively responsible guard. If his hands are upright for long against Duncan I expect that we see CLD pick other shots to hurt Cannonier through or around his defense. His striking creativity will be a key factor in winning this fight. Cannonier has not slowed down tremendously but we cannot forget that he is now 42 years old. Duncan will have the speed advantage in this matchup and we just saw Cannonier struggle in a three round decision loss for his last fight. Michael Page was able to dance around Cannonier and fight out of the clinch so I expect that Duncan will be able to do the same thing here. Duncan by knockout is a risky prop but I would rather bet on that than play this wide moneyline. Cannonier would have a better chance of cashing as the underdog if this were a scheduled five round fight. Christian Leroy Duncan by Round Two KO
• Nick: Jared Cannonier’s greatest strength is certainly his powerful striking ability. As a former heavyweight, he has true KO power at 185. If he can find a shot to land, he’s capable of putting anyone to sleep immediately. He has a decent wrestling base, solid takedown defense, and even as he’s aging he has shown to have solid cardio and durability. Cannonier is getting up there in age and he recently underwent surgery to repair his knee. It seems his durability and speed are starting to wane, which could spell trouble for him here against such a gifted striker in Christian Leroy Duncan. Christian Leroy Duncan is 14-2 professionally, with ten  of his wins coming via KO. He’s a dynamic striker who has shown serious power in both his punches and his kicks. He’s extremely athletic with creative flying and spinning attacks in his arsenal. He does an excellent job leading his opponents into traps, and he’s explosive out of breaks. As excellent as he is on the feet, his defensive grappling is still a major hole in his game. Leroy Duncan is the more technically sound striker in this match-up and I expect he can pick Cannonier apart at range over the course of three rounds. Cannonier could be live for an upset if he chooses to lean on a grappling heavy gameplan, but that is tough to expect from him at this point in his career. Christian Leroy Duncan by Decision

Dricus Du Plessis -260 vs Kamaru Usman +210

• Anthony: The main event is a matchup at middleweight between Dricus Du Plessis and Kamaru Usman. This should be a competitive fight over fight rounds between former champions. Du Plessis has not competed since last summer when Khamzat Chimaev beat him for the middleweight championship. In that fight Du Plessis was taken down 12 times and controlled for more than 21 minutes on the ground. Before that he had won eleven fights in a row. It was an embarrassing performance and here Usman will again test his take down defense. Du Plessis likely worked on addressing the takedown but this is also going to be a much different opponent. Usman cannot generate the same explosive entries that Chimaev did versus Du Plessis. Here Usman will be relying on his elite technical skills to drag Du Plessis down to the ground. The size of Du Plessis here facing the former welterweight could also be a key factor in ending this early. Du Plessis has the power to hurt Usman with his striking and reverse some positions on the mat. I am going to side with Du Plessis although in his last fight yes he was held down. Usman is now 39 years old and in a five round bout I think Dricus will be able to take over. I would predict that Usman maybe takes two of the first three rounds before ultimately the damage becomes too much. Du Plessis will connect with his boxing throughout this fight and Usman also seems susceptible to injury. At the odds earlier this week I would have skipped Du Plessis but now getting -250 he seems like a very good bet. Dricus Du Plessis by Round Four KO
• Nick: A former UFC Middleweight Champion, Dricus Du Plessis, throws a lot of volume on the feet. He has a lot of power in all of his limbs, but he’s also competent on the mat with eleven professional wins coming via submission. As dangerous as Du Plessis is, he’s very awkward in his movements and his footwork sometimes leaves him in positions to be countered. He’s extremely awkward in his approach and he does make mistakes defensively, but his ability to win fights regardless has led to an impressive run as a champion. He’s a powerful athlete with ridiculous strength for a middleweight. What he lacks in finesse, he more than makes up for with brute strength, toughness, and an extraordinary desire to win at any cost. He was dominated his last time out, losing his title to Khamzat Chimaev via decision in a fight in which he was mostly controlled on the mat. Primarily a wrestler, and a dominant one at that, Kamaru Usman has shown both excellent defense and durability on the feet. Training under an excellent striking coach in Trevor Wittman, his jab and his overall boxing ability improved dramatically since he made his UFC debut. While he has made major strides throughout his career, it seems he is slowing down at 39-years old. The former UFC Welterweight Champion is now often outsized as he fights at Middleweight. Du Plessis becomes increasingly dangerous as this fight wears on. I expect Usman to find success early here as he’s the more technically sound of the two, but the size and brute strength of Du Plessis should make him difficult to stay safe as this fight wears on. In his prime this is a fight I’d expect Usman to find success in. However, he is undeniably far past that prime at 39-years old and up a weight class. Dricus Du Plessis by Round Four KO

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