UFC Fight Night 172 main card predictions & betting picks

UFC Fight Night: Figueiredo vs Benavidez Latest Odds & Fight Info
Main Event betting	Figueiredo -208.33 at Bovada | Benavidez +175 at Bovada
When	Sunday, July 19 – main card from 4am GST (8pm EDT July 18)
Where	Flash Forum – Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Watch Live	ESPN+, UFC Fight Pass, UFC.com

A championship fight at the top of the card and a bunch of competitive bouts leading up to it. What more can a fight fan ask for? UFC Fight Night 172 in Abu Dhabi will wrap up with a UFC Flyweight Championship bout between Deiveson Figueiredo and Joseph Benavidez, but first a deep card filled with interesting bouts will take center stage on UFC Fight Island.

Middleweight: Jack Hermansson (-110) vs Kelvin Gastelum (-110)

This fight is a major highlight of the card. Both Jack Hermansson (20-5-0) and Kelvin Gastelum (15-5-0) are coming off a loss and should be highly motivated to put their best foot forward, while the clash of styles between Hermansson’s superior grappling and Gastelum’s superior striking will keep both fighters constantly jostling to control the tempo. This one is as tough to predict as the odds suggest, but we lean towards Hermansson using his size and reach advantage to take the fight to the ground often enough to eke out a victory.

Lightweight: Marc Diakiese (-155) vs Rafael Fiziev (+135)

Both of these men rely on their striking game for MMA success and will be comfortable trading blows in the center of the octagon. Rafael Fiziev (7-1-0) was 6-0 with five first-round finishes before joining the UFC, where he is 1-1 with a TKO loss and a decision win. At just 27 years old he still has time to develop into a more polished fighter, but at this stage Fiziev will struggle with the clear edges that Marc Diakiese (14-3-0) has in speed and experience.

Women’s Flyweight: Ariane Lipski (-130) vs Luana Carolina (+110)

Luana Carolina (6-1-0) has won six straight fights including her UFC debut against Priscila Cachoeira at UFC 237. Ariana Lipski (12-5-0) finally picked up her first UFC win over Isabela de Padua last November, breaking a two-fight losing streak to start her career with the promotion. Lipski has faced tougher competition and on paper is the more promising prospect, but she hasn’t lived up to her hype thus far. Look for that disappointment to continue against Carolina, whose best path to victory is to get this fight to the ground as often as possible.

Flyweight: Alexandre Pantoja (-210) vs Askar Askarov (+175)

We’re going to find out just how good Askar Askarov (11-0-1) is when he faces his toughest test to date going up against Alexandre Pantoja (22-4-0). Pantoja has won four of his last five fights with his only loss over that span coming against Deiveson Figueiredo, the top-ranked fighter in the division. Pantoja could be next in line for a shot at the UFC Flyweight Championship with a win here, and we don’t believe that he will let that opportunity slip away.

UFC Fight Night 172 preliminary card

Light Heavyweight: Roman Dolidze (-185) vs Khadis Ibragimov (+160)

Featherweight: Grant Dawson (-255) vs Nad Narimani (+215)

Lightweight: Joseph Duffy (-365) vs Joel Alvarez (+305)

Bantamweight: Montel Jackson (-200) vs Brett Johns (+170)

Flyweight: Amir Albazi (-165) vs Malcolm Gordon (+135)

Lightweight: Arman Tsarukyan (-220) vs Davi Ramos (+180)

Heavyweight: Sergey Spivak (-150) vs Carlos Felipe (+130)