Cannonier vs Gastelum betting picks – UFC Vegas 34 main event

Jared Cannonier is set to take on Kelvin Gastelum in the main event of UFC Vegas 34 this Saturday night. Both of these top-10 middleweights are looking to bounce back from losses to Robert Whittaker, who defeated Cannonier in October of 2020 and Gastelum in April of 2021.

UFC Vegas 34 main event preview

Jared Cannonier (13-5-0) had won three straight fights against David Branch, Anderson Silva, and Jack Hermansson by technical knockout before suffering his first loss since 2018 to Whittaker at UFC 254. The loss was also Cannonier’s first in the middleweight division. The former light heavyweight has looked considerably more comfortable in his new weight class since dropping three of his previous four fights at light heavyweight.

Kelvin Gastelum (16-7-0) opened his career with a 10-0 run that included a 4-0 record through his first four fights in the UFC. Gastelum has had an underwhelming career since that quick start however with a 6-7 record over his last 13 fights, most recently losing four of his last five fights. The 29-year-old’s only win since 2018 came in February against Ian Heinisch.

Cannonier vs Gastelum predictions & best bets

It’s a bit surprising to see Jared Cannonier going off at such a small favorite here. Kelvin Gastelum’s name still obviously carries weight in the MMA community; the middleweight is a well-rounded fighter that showed off his takedown abilities with six in his victory over Heinisch. It always feels like Gastelum has the talent to take things to the next level, but the results speak for themselves; when put to the test against high-end talent, Gastelum does not rise to the task.

Is Cannonier in the “high-end talent” category? It may still be too early to say. The former heavyweight looked fantastic in his first three fights at middleweight but was clearly out-boxed in his loss to Whittaker. Maybe Gastelum puts it all together in this fight and is able to keep Cannonier at bay all night. But the more likely scenario is that Cannonier’s massive power advantage takes its toll as this fight wears on, eventually leading to a knockout victory for the favorite.