Big fight card in the City of Angels this Saturday as the West Coast hosts UFC 331.
asserted
Coast → host → UFC
Twelve bouts are on the docket, including one title fight and another potential championship eliminator in what should be a very fun evening in Los Angeles.
asserted
what → include → Angeles
We lost one fight, Renato Moicano vs. Brian Ortega, from the card due to an Ortega injury, leaving 12 bouts.
asserted
We → lose → bouts
Of those 12, we have a rare even split of them expected to go the distance vs. to end in a finish.
asserted
we → have → finish
Three matchups in the heavyweight and light heavyweight divisions are overwhelmingly expected to end inside of a round.
asserted
matchups → expect → round
The entire card will start at 5 p.m. ET on Paramount+, with the main card beginning at 9 p.m.
UFC 331 predictions
Joshua Van vs. Alexandre Pantoja
This is a rematch of last December’s match that disappointingly ended in an injury for Pantoja and a TKO win for Van in only 26 seconds.
asserted
that → start → seconds
Since then, Van has come into his own, beating the brakes off Tatsuro Taira in a fifth-round TKO victory that was more of a mercy ending than anything else.
asserted
that → come → anything
Taira landed eight takedowns in that fight but was extremely hittable as Van landed incredible levels of power punches for the flyweight division.
asserted
Van → land → division
The last thing we saw from Pantoja was a nasty elbow injury that held him out for nearly a year.
asserted
that → see → year
Pantoja reportedly did not elect to get surgery and instead went through extensive physical therapy, which gives me plenty of pause about wagering on him.
uncertain
which → elect → him
Meanwhile, Van is the champ, ever improving and in the prime of his career.
asserted
Van → improve → career
He’s perhaps the best boxer in flyweight history and highly entertaining to watch.
asserted
He → ’ → history
If Pantoja dominates the grappling, more power to him, but I’m not so sure that he’ll be able to pull that off in this fight.
asserted
he → dominate → fight
I’m targeting Van to win in the late rounds or by decision.
asserted
I → target → decision
Prediction: Van wins + the fight goes Over 2.5 rounds (+185, DraftKings).
asserted
fight → win → rounds
Arman Tsarukyan vs. Mauricio Ruffy
This is a five-round non-title fight — not three — so that distinction matters for this lightweight title eliminator.
asserted
distinction → matter → eliminator
Tsarukyan is an excellent grappler and a big-time UFC star at this point, despite upsetting the promotion on multiple occasions for infractions outside the cage.
asserted
Tsarukyan → upset → cage
Ruffy is a future title contender, by my standards, as an elite striker, but I have major concerns about his ability to stop takedowns.
asserted
I → have → takedowns
We saw him get smashed by Benoit Saint Denis last year, and he’s been given easier matchups since then, exclusively striker vs. striker.
asserted
he → see → striker
Tsarukyan eventually will get to Ruffy if he can avoid being knocked out first, which he hasn’t been in his career.
asserted
he → get → career
Target the favorite to win by submission, which he did last time out against Dan Hooker.
asserted
he → target → Hooker
Predictions: Tsarukyan wins by submission (+230, FanDuel); Over 3.5 takedowns (-107, Novig).
asserted
Tsarukyan → win → +230
Get the lowdown on the Best USA Sports Betting Sites and Apps
- Check out the best sports betting sites and apps
Rest of the card
Patricio Pitbull vs. Dooho Choi: Choi by decision (+215, DraftKings).
Gable Steveson vs. Sean Sharaf: Steveson by submission (+500, DraftKings); small bet on Steveson by decision (20/1, FanDuel).
Alonzo Menifield vs. Iwo Baraniewski: Baraniewski moneyline for parlays (-250, DraftKings).
Marlon Vera vs. Charles Jourdain: Fight goes the distance -200 for parlays; small bet on Vera wins by decision (+550, FanDuel).
Tai Tuivasa vs. Robelis Despaigne: Tuivasa moneyline (+525, Novig).
Michael Aswell Jr. vs. JooSang Yoo: Fight goes the distance (-156, ProphetX).
Ryan Gandra vs. Ozzy Diaz: Very small bet on Gandra by decision (15/1, theScore Bet).
Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Brunno Ferreira: Shahbazyan wins and the fight starts Round 2 (+115, DraftKings).
Casey O’Neill vs. Eduarda Moura: O’Neill by submission in Rounds 2 or 3 (15/1, FanDuel).
Giga Chikadze vs. Joanderson Brito: Fight goes the distance (+182, bet365).
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Erich Richter is a brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt but he has a black belt in MMA betting.
asserted
he → get → betting
During the football season he’s showcased massive profits at The Post in the player prop market the last two seasons.
asserted
he → showcase → market
While constantly betting long shots, his return on investment is 30.15 percent since 2022.
asserted
return → bet → 2022
The Aporia
