UFC 258 Main Card Latest Odds And Predictions

Looking at top sportsbooks online odds, defending champion Usman is the betting favorite. Burns is coming back as an underdog according to the best online sportsbooks. This year’s second UFC PPV is drawing near. The welterweight championship will be contested with two former stablemates duking it out. The main event features champ Kamaru Usman in his third title defense against contender Gilbert Burns.

Gilbert Burns vs. Kamaru Usman

Gilbert Burns vs. Kamaru Usman Pick: Usman by decision.

Favored at top sportsbooks online, Usman has yet to lose in the UFC since winning The Ultimate Fighter in 2015. Nine of his 12 wins in the promotion have been by decision, with two KOs and one submission win. It’s no secret what the Nigerian Nightmare aims to do when in the cage.

Namely, close the distance, put his hands on his opponent and wrestle them against the cage or to the ground. Usman averages 3.38 takedowns per 15 minutes. He has never yielded a takedown himself.
His striking has kept evolving but he usually sticks to one strike at a time and his stance is rather flat-footed. One of the game-changers for Usman is his remarkable conditioning. It allows him to grind and dictate the pace for the length of the match.

He is cool and collected in the cage. He has fairly good striking defense when the fight is standing up. Usman’s past three fights were against Tyron Woodley (won by unanimous decision), Colby Covington (won by knockout) and Jorge Masvidal (won unanimous decision).

Maycee Barber vs. Alexa Grasso

Maycee Barber vs. Alexa Grasso Pick: Barber by decision.

Barber was en route to breaking Jon Jones’ record as the youngest-ever UFC champion. She picked up three KO wins prior to the injury in her loss to Roxanne Modafferi. Seven of her eight pro wins have been stoppages, with five KOs and two submissions.

Her only loss was by decision. She is an aggressive brawler. She is constantly cutting off the cage and looking to throw her heavy hands around. Barber is very strong. If she gets in the clinch, she can muscle her opponent out and start tossing hooks.
Those hooks and big strikes open up windows for a level change. She hits 80% of takedown attempts. Barber’s past three fights were versus J.J. Aldrich (won by knockout), Gillian Robertson (won by knockout) and
Roxanne Modafferi (lost by unanimous decision).

Kelvin Gastelum vs. Ian Heinisch

Pick: Gastelum by KO.

The Kelvinator is the favorite at top sportsbooks online. It was only less than two years ago that Gastelum fought Israel Adesanya for the interim middleweight title. That what was the 2019 fight of the year.
Gastelum lost by decision as well as his two ensuing matches. Gastelum is a wrestler.

He averages 0.87 takedowns per 15 minutes. His weapon of choice is his striking, though. Of his 15 pro wins, 10 have come by stoppage, with six KOs and four submissions.
As a leftie, it should be no surprise that Gastelum has a great sinister hand which he throws in sundry ways. But generally the left hook is the showstopper.

He has a tendency to load up on strikes that fast-footed opponents can avoid.
He needs to throw some kicks in to slow down his opponent. And then he can let his quick and heavy hands go. Gastelum’s past three fights were versus Israel Adesanya (lost by unanimous decision), Darren Till (lost by split decision) and Jack Hermansson (lost by submission).

Bobby Green vs. Jim Miller

Pick: Miller by decision.

Miller possesses a sneaky right that he uses it as a decoy to hide his good kicks that follow it. He does a great job of throwing combinations as opposed to just one strike at a time. This will help him in this fight.