Grasso vs Araujo: UFC Fight Night undercard betting picks

The undercard to the Alexa Grasso vs Viviane Araujo main event in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night is stacked with some well-matched contests that should deliver a fun evening of competitive bouts. Here are BP’s best bets for the rest of the main card in Las Vegas.

Cub Swanson v Jonathan Martinez

Cub Swanson (28-12-0) is an old-school warrior who has been fighting almost non-stop in the UFC since 2011. This longevity can only be attributed to super-human toughness, because Swanson is a stand-and-trade man who never takes a backward step. Swanson’s career hit the skids starting in 2017 when he lost four straight bouts against Brian Ortega, Frankie Edgar, Renato Moicano, and Shane Burgos. He has since bounced back with wins over Darren Elkins and Daniel Pineda.

Jonathan Martinez (15-4-0) is an up-and-coming bantamweight who has built a three-fight win streak with recent victories over Vince Morales, Alejandro Perez, and Zviad Lazishvili. Although Martinez has not fought the same calibre of opposition that Swanson has faced, he is the younger, fresher fighter and we expect him to get the job done against the scarred veteran.

Askar Askarov v Brandon Royval

Askar Askarov (14-1-1) is a Sambo-style Russian powerhouse who boasts a draw against former flyweight champ Brandon Moreno and enters this fight following a narrow loss to surging Kiwi challenger Kai Kara-France. Askarov is an absolute beast on the mat and would normally be looking to take his opponent down where he can go to work with some heavy ground and pound, but his next foe is a BJJ black belt, so this might be an unwise course of action.

Brandon Royval (14-6-0) has also fought some of the best in the flyweight division, losing via KO to Brandon Moreno in 2020. Interestingly, Royval defeated Kara-France via submission, so there is plenty of overlap in these fighters’ history. Both will be looking to advance title aspirations with a big showing here. Both fighters are also very adept on the mat, so the stand-up striking might decide the outcome.

We are tipping Askarov at -250 with Bovada, but his odds do appear a little short to get too excited.

Jordan Wright v Dusko Todorovic

Jordan Wright (12-3-0) has dropped his last two UFC fights and will be desperate to get his name back in the winners’ column. Wright’s career in the minor promotions started without blemish, and he finished his first nine fights either via submission or TKO. We can only assume he hates relying on the judges. After breaking into the UFC, Wright has gone 2-3 and needs to tighten his defences to become a serious contender. He does show promise and has hopefully made the necessary adjustments after the recent rough patch.

Dusko Todorovic (11-3-0) has also struggled since entering the UFC, where his record stands at an identical 2-3. Todorovic earned his spot via Dana White’s Contender Series but will need to add some consistency to his record if he hopes to build a prize-fighting career. Todorovic holds black belts in both BJJ and Taekwondo, and the Serbian will be looking to showcase his wide array of skills in this vital matchup.

We are tipping the upset here again, based on the gap in the market with most betting sites.

Misha Cirkunov v Alonzo Menifield

Miasha Cirkunov (15-8-0) gets his final chance at redemption following a rough three-year stretch that has returned a mere 1-4. The Latvian has fought some big names in Johnny Walker, Ryan Spann, and Krzysztof Jotko, but patience must be wearing thin, nonetheless. Cirkunov’s best wins have all come via submission, so we can expect him to look for takedowns from the opening bell.

Alonzo Menifield (12-3-0) is a graduate of Dana White’s Contender Series who has gone 5-3 since breaking into the big league. He most recently dispatched Askar Mozharov with some big elbows, and the Mauy Thai exponent will be intent on landing similar strikes here. The contrasting styles should make for an interesting bout, with Menifield possessing a big advantage in the stand-up department.

We are confidently tipping Menifield at -222.22, and he should get the finish if he can elude Cirkunov’s superior ground game.


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