UFC 258 Main Card betting predictions – Saturday 13/2/2021

UFC 258 betting preview

The UFC 258 card features plenty of intriguing names, including former red-hot prospects Maycee Barber and Kelvin Gastelum both looking to get back into the win column. Here’s a look at the main card on Saturday in Las Vegas leading up to the main event between Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns.

Women’s Flyweight: Alexa Grasso (-117) vs Maycee Barber (-103)

Alexa Grasso (12-3-0) has been a frustrating prospect to date. Since entering the UFC with an 8-0 record, she has alternated wins and losses to the tune of a 4-3 record with the promotion. Grasso did, however, look sharp in her flyweight debut in August when she defeated Ji Yeon Kim by decision.

Maycee Barber (8-1-0) saw her massive hype train hit a snag when she picked up her first professional loss at UFC 246 last January against Roxanne Modafferi. Barber suffered a torn ACL in that fight, but she was already losing it before the injury. At just 22-years-old, Barber still has a very bright future ahead of her in the UFC. But Grasso is the more polished fighter at this stage, and the fact that she is the favorite against the far more popular and higher-ranked fighter should tell you where the sharp money is going in this fight.

Middleweight: Kelvin Gastelum (-210) vs Ian Heinisch (+180)

Despite suffering losses in each of his last three fights, Kelvin Gastelum (15-6-0) continues to draw favorite odds whenever he enters the octagon. Ian Heinisch (14-3-0) isn’t a world beater, but his last bout against Gerald Meerschaert in June resulted in an impressive knockout victory in the first round. Gastelum is still just 29 years old, and his best effort would in all likelihood lead to him outboxing and defeating Heinisch. But until he proves that he has returned to form, we’ll take the underdog odds on a solid fighter that won’t be afraid to trade blows in what could easily turn into a very competitive fight.

Middleweight: Julian Marquez (-170) vs Maki Pitolo (+145)

Julian Marquez (7-2-0) hasn’t seen action in the octagon since losing to Alessio Di Chirico by decision all the way back in July of 2018. Maki Pitolo (13-7-0) has been in six fights since then with a 3-3 record, though he’ll enter this fight on the heels of back-to-back losses to Darren Stewart and Impa Kasanganay. This is a winnable fight for Marquez if he picks up where he left off, but it’s hard to guess how two-and-a-half years of ring rust and injuries will affect his form. Pitolo is a hard hitter and the far fresher fighter, so he’s worth a stab here as an underdog.

Lightweight: Bobby Green (-255) vs Jim Miller (+215)

Bobby Green (27-11-1) entered 2020 with a 1-5-1 record over his previous seven fights, but he enjoyed a career resurgence with a 3-1 record last year. On Saturday he faces Jim Miller (32-15-0), who will set a UFC record for the most fights ever with the promotion in his 37th UFC bout. Miller’s strong submission game always makes him a threat at an upset, but Green is a solid defender and wrestler that hasn’t lost via submission since 2009. Green should control the tempo in this one en route to a clear decision win.