UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs Spivac main card picks & betting odds

Before the heavyweights take the octagon for UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs Spivac from the Apex this Saturday, some up-and-coming stars get their opportunity to advance their contender status. These are our best bets for the undercard.

Kennedy Nzechukwu vs Ion Cutelaba

Kennedy Nzechukwu (10-3-0) is a scary Nigerian striker who never fights in a dull bout. Just two of his last 10 contests made it to the final bell. Nzechukwu most recently finished Karl Roberson with some vicious elbows and will be looking to get another stoppage finish here. Nzechukwu stands at 6’5″ and will have a four-inch height and eight-inch reach advantage so if the fight remains upright, he should be able to pick Cutelaba apart from long range.

Ion Cutelaba (16-8-1) has dropped his last two fights via submission and boasts only one victory from his last six outings. The submission losses are surprising given Cutelaba’s strong Sambo and wrestling base. He will need to lift his game if the Moldovan is to prevail against the hungry and motivated Nzechukwu. It is hard to tip a fighter on a losing streak, so we are leaning toward the less experienced but winning Nigerian here.

Chase Sherman vs Waldo Cortes-Acosta

Chase Sherman (16-10-0) salvaged his UFC career with a last start knock out over Jared Vanderaa having lost the four previous fights in a row. Sherman has recorded his best results in short bouts that remain standing and has historically struggled in longer contests that involve cardio sapping wrestling. A natural heavyweight Sherman played college football before working as a firefighter before joining the professional ranks. Sherman can take a solid punch and is unafraid to stand and trade should his opponent oblige. He will be looking to land something heavy in the early going to ensure a stoppage victory.

Waldo Cortes-Acosta (8-0-0) is an unbeaten graduate of the Dana White Contender Series hoping to show continue his upward trajectory in the big show. He impressed with his UFC debut with a decision victory over Jared Vanderaa, and betting markets expect another such effort at his second outing. While his footwork can appear sloppy on occasion, he does press hard with power in both hands. Unbeaten fighters are a rare commodity, and the late blooming Cortes-Acosta will be riding a wave of confidence as he steps into the octagon.

Andre Fialho vs Muslim Salikhov

Andre Fialho (16-5-0) drew a tough assignment in his last UFC outing in surging Aussie Jake Matthews. Fialho was slightly favoured to win the fight, but Matthews looked like a potential title contender and finished the Portuguese striker with a second-round knockout. Fialho has enjoyed a long, slow build up to this contest, and will be get back into the winner’s list. He possesses very strong boxing skills and knocked out six of his first seven opponents as a professional MMA fighter.

Muslim Salikhov (18-3-0) is a 38-year-old from Dagestan who had a nice winning run going until he ran into the highly regarded Li Jingliang and was stopped in the second round. Prior to that Salikhov had won five fights on the trot in impressive fashion. He is not a fan of allowing judges to adjudicate his bouts and hunts a finish at every opportunity. Salikhov looks to have the grappling advantage in this contest and would be wise to take it to the mat. This fight is priced as a coin flip, but we are tipping Fialho to bounce back to his best and get the win.

Jack Della Maddalena vs Danny Roberts

Jack Della Maddalena (12-2-0) is a very slick and promising Australian fighter who looks ready to hit the big time. He is the shortest price favourite on the main card and may be looking for a quick finish without any damage so he can secure a spot on the coming UFC 284 card from Perth in Western Australia, Della Maddalena’s hometown. His last win was an ultra-impressive first round stoppage of Ramazan Emeev that had fans and UFC management take notice of his finishing skills. Della Maddalena is now on a 12-fight winning streak, so this bout is a must-watch.

Danny Roberts is an English southpaw who made his UFC debt back in 2015. Since then, he has never won more than two fights in a row, which has hampered his progress into the welterweight rankings. Now 35 years of age, Roberts will need to string some wins together if he hopes to make a run into the top half of the division. He also boasts a win over Ramazan Emeev, albeit in a more laborious fashion, so this is not a total mismatch. Roberts carries a slight height and reach advantage and being the betting underdog will have no pressure to throw caution to the wind in search of a needed victory.

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