UFC Fight Night: Font vs Vera main card betting picks – April 30

A heavyweight bout between Andrei Arlovski and Jake Collier is scheduled to serve as the co-main event of this Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 35. Here’s a breakdown of that matchup as well as the other four fights on the main card leading up to the main event of Rob Font vs Marlon Vera in Las Vegas.

Heavyweight: Andrei Arlovski (-135) vs Jake Collier (+115)

Andrei Arlovski (33-20-0) continued to defy his advanced age with another win at UFC 271, defeating Jared Vanderaa by split decision. Arlovski entered 2020 with a 3-9-0 record over his previous 12 fights, but he has thrived in his 40’s with a 5-1 record over his last six fights. Jake Collier (13-6-0) has alternated wins and losses since joining the UFC in 2014. His most recent win over Chase Sherman brought his record with the promotion to 5-5-0.

Both of these fighters are solid strikers and takedown defenders, so this is a bout that figures to stay off of the mat for most of the night. Collier is certainly a live dog in what should be a fairly evenly matched fight, but Arlovski’s recent form and consistency make him tough to go against as he aims for a fourth straight victory.

Featherweight: Andre Fili (-250) vs Joanderson Brito (+210)

Andre Fili (21-8-0) had his last fight against Daniel Pineda ruled a no contest after an accidental eye poke rendered Pineda unable to continue. Fili has lost two of his last three fights since going 4-1 over his previous five bouts. Joanderson Brito (12-3-1) had a 10-fights winning streak snapped in his UFC debut in January when he took a decision loss against Bill Algeo. Look for the veteran Fili to bounce back with a win here; his recent losses to Sodiq Yusuff and Bryce Mitchell both came against far more established young opponents than Brito.

Lightweight: Jared Gordon (+145) vs Grant Dawson (-170)

Grant Dawson (17-1-1) had an eight-fight winning streak snapped in his last fight against Ricky Glenn, but he’s still undefeated over his last nine fights as that bout against Glenn ended in a draw. Dawson is now 5-0-1 in the UFC with two submission wins and one knockout. Jared Gordon (18-4-0) has won three straight fights by decision since suffering a 1-3 slump that saw him take three knockout losses. It’s hard to go against Dawson here, who has been far more consistent and should be hungry for a win after settling for a draw in his last fight.

Featherweight: Darren Elkins (-170) vs Tristan Connelly (+145)

Darren Elkins (26-10-0) had a two-fight winning streak snapped with a first-round knockout loss against Cub Swanson. Elkins is now 2-5-0 over his last five fights since going 6-0-0 over his previous six. Tristan Connelly (14-7-0) was 9-1 over his previous 10 fights including a win in his UFC debut over Michel Pereira before losing to Pat Sabatini at UFC 261. We’re going to take a shot on Connelly here; Elkins’ best days appear to be behind him, which isn’t being accurately reflected in these betting odds.

Middleweight: Krzysztof Jotko (-175) vs Gerald Meerschaert (+150)

This is a strong opening fight between Krzysztof Jotko (23-5-0) who has won four of his last five fights and Gerald Meerschaert (34-14-0) who has won each of his last three fights by submission. We are once again going with the underdog in this spot. Jotko is a talented fighter that is certainly capable of winning this fight, but Meerschaert’s elite submission skills with 26 career submission wins under his belt always puts this elite grappler one timely maneuver away from an upset win.

More sports betting picks