UFC Fight Night 205 betting picks & fight odds – March 26, 2022

A flyweight matchup between Joanne Wood and Alexa Grasso is set to serve as the co-main event of this Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 205 in Columbus, Ohio. We’ve got a UFC betting prediction in that matchup as well as all of the others leading up to the main event of Curtis Blaydes vs Chris Daukaus.

Women’s Flyweight: Joanne Wood (+200) vs Alexa Grasso (-235)

Alexa Grasso (13-3-0) entered the UFC with a 9-0-0 record before going just 2-3 in her first five fights with the promotion. She’s settled in since then though with back-to-back wins over Ji Yeon Kim and Maycee Barber. Joanne Wood (15-7-0) has never been able to translate her solid kick-boxing skills into success in the octagon, compiling a 4-6 record over her last 10 UFC fights including back-to-back losses over Lauren Murphy and Talia Santos.

Grasso seems like the pretty clear choice in this one. Recent form is clearly in her favor, and her career is just getting started at 28-years-old while Wood is past her prime at this point at 36-year-old. Look for Wood to control the tempo and grind out a decision win in a fight that shouldn’t ever force her out of her comfort zone.

Flyweight: Askar Askarov (-350) vs Kai Kara-France (+285)

Askar Askarov (14-0-1) remained undefeated with his catchweight victory over Joseph Benavidez at UFC 259 one year ago. Askarov joined the UFC with a perfect 11-0 record and has won three straight matches since fighting to a draw against former flyweight champion Brandon Moreno in 2019. Kai Kara-France has shaken off a 1-2 slump with back-to-back knockout wins over Rogerio Bontorin and Cody Garbrandt. Kara-France is 11-2-0 over his last 13 fights.

The winner of this fight could be next in line for a shot at the UFC Flyweight Championship after Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno meet four the fourth time later this year. An argument could be made for Kara-France here given his recent performances, but Askarov’s superior grappling ability should help him get this fight to the mat often enough to secure a decision win.

Welterweight: Matt Brown (-120) vs Bryan Barberena (+100)

Matt Brown (23-18-0) snapped a two-fight losing streak with a knockout win over Dhiego Lima in June. Brown was just 3-7 over his previous 10 fights prior to that win. Bryan Barberena (16-8-0) also won his most recent fight to break up a 3-5-0 run and he now has wins in two of his last three fights. This should be a slugfest that could go either way as the betting odds indicate, but Brown’s edge in wrestling could be the deciding factor.

Heavyweight: Ilir Latifi (-195) vs Alexey Oleynik (+170)

Ilir Latifi (15-8-0) snapped a three-fight losing streak with a split-decision win over Tanner Boser in June. Alexey Oleynik (59-16-1) meanwhile has lost each of his last three fights, most recently falling to Sergey Spivak last year. This should be an interesting one between two veteran heavyweights with very different styles. Oleynik is always a threat to steal a fight with a submission maneuver; he has 46 submission wins over his long professional career. But Latifi has never been submitted, and if he can avoid that outcome here, he should eventually find a knockout to end this one.

Lightweight: Marc Diakiese (+135) vs Viacheslav Borshchev (-155)

Marc Diakiese (14-5-0) has gone just 2-5 over his last seven fights since opening his professional career with a perfect 12-0 record. Viacheslav Borshchev (6-1-0) is 4-0-0 with four straight knockouts including a first-round win over Dakota Bush in his UFC debut in January. Diakiese seems like a test that this promising lightweight prospect can pass.

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