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UFC 286 Best Bets & Predictions

UFC 286 Best Bets & Predictions

Saturday 18 March, 20232 min read
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Andy Robson

Andy Robson is the most popular betting tipster in the UK. With a combined following in excess of 1 million people across his social media channels, Andy has built a loyal audience by consistently providing quality betting content for over nine years. He is the founder of Andy’s Bet Club, which he launched in 2019.

In this article...
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UFC 286 takes place on Saturday 18th March
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Live on BT Sport Box Office from 7:00PM

Over the last two years, UFC events in London have delivered time after time. Now, seven months after Leon Edwards shocked the world by knocking out Kamaru Usman, the famous octagon returns and Britain’s only UFC champion will be looking to erase all doubt. 

This will be the third time Usman and Edwards have met inside the octagon. They were both inexperienced prospects the first time, and Usman came out on top. Seven months ago, in Salt Lake City, Usman entered as the welterweight champion and was touted as perhaps the greatest welterweight of all time. Edwards, who was the number one contender, came in with an underdog chance but changed his entire life with one head kick in the fifth round that has become one of the most famous knockouts in UFC history. 

This will be the final time Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards fight but we should finally get a definitive answer on who is the best welterweight in the world.

Welterweight

Leon Edwards (C) v Kamaru Usman (#1) - UFC Welterweight Championship

The main event is so hard to predict but Leon Edwards looks tempting at underdog odds. Seven months ago in Salt Lake City, Usman did dominate for large periods of the fight but there is no denying the mental battles he will have to overcome after being knocked out so viciously in the fifth and final round. Like great champions before him, Usman may well bounce back in impressive fashion this weekend but you can’t ignore the obvious risks. On away soil, the former champion will need to dominate every round to snatch the belt away from Edwards and if he has any hesitations, he could come unstuck against a highly motivated fighter like Leon Edwards. However, it isn’t all about Kamaru Usman. Leon Edwards has proved, over two fights, that he can match Usman in all departments. He has lost rounds along the way but the Birmingham native remains the only person to ever take the former champion down and he will take confidence from that. This is an incredibly close fight that can go either way but with the doubt surrounding Kamaru Usman, Leon Edwards is worth backing at underdog odds.

*Click the drop-down arrow to view full bet research

Our MMA Scout has picked out the following bet for the Main Event 👇🏼

Lightweight

Justin Gaethje (#3) v Rafael Fiziev (#6)

The co-main event between Rafael Fiziev and Justin Gaethje looks like the fight of the night. Gaethje, who is known as The Human Highlight Reel, is a bonus machine in the UFC and he has been involved in some memorable fights during his incredible UFC career. Gaethje likes to adopt a ‘kill or be killed’ strategy and it makes his fights unmissable for the fans. He has had some big wins but has been humbled each time he has stepped up to title level against Khabib Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliveira. At 34, Gaethje is getting no younger and he looks vulnerable here against a fast-rising star. Rafael Fiziev has had hype surrounding him since he joined the UFC in 2019. Surprisingly, he was defeated on his UFC debut but he has been faultless since then. Knockout victories over the likes of Renato Moicano, Brad Riddell & Rafael Dos Anjos have put him firmly in title contention and this is a huge opportunity for him. Gaethje is the best fighter that Fiziev has fought but MMA is all about timing and this looks like a fighter on the up taking on a fighter who is slightly past his best. Gaethje will give it his all, but the speed, accuracy, and variety of Fiziev may be too much for him to handle at this stage of his career.

*Click the drop-down arrow to view full bet research

Our MMA Scout has picked out the following bet for the Co-Main Event 👇🏼

Women's Flyweight

Jennifer Maia (#8) v Casey O'Neil (#12)

Born in Scotland but fighting out of Australia, Casey O’Neill has made eye-catching progress since joining the UFC in early 2021. Despite being just 25, O’Neill has substantial experience in MMA and it has shown in her early UFC career. In her first four bouts, she has secured three finishes and progressed with every single fight. This weekend, she takes on veteran Jennifer Maia and it will be a perfect gauge of how far O’Neill has come. Maia has been in the UFC since 2018 but has been competing in professional MMA for over a decade winning titles in Invicta and travelling the world competing in Muay Thai. She has a 5-5 record in the UFC but she has fought some top-level opposition like Valentina Shevchenko and has always given a good account of herself. Maia has never been stopped in her UFC career which is a testament to her durability. Although she may not have enough to derail the progress of Casey O’Neill, she should have enough class and experience to take her to a decision.

*Click the drop-down arrow to view full bet research

Our MMA Scout has picked out the following bet for this fight 👇🏼

Featherweight

Jack Shore v Makwan Amirkhani

Jack Shore returns for the first time since his devastating to Ricky Simon last July. Since that defeat, Shore has made the move up to featherweight and will be looking to resume the momentum he built in his early UFC career. Shore is immensely talented and one of the most well-rounded fighters in Britain but he will be feeling the pressure this week as he will know he can’t afford two defeats on the spin. His opponent, Makwan Amirkhani, is an experienced veteran and will be looking to upset the party in London once again. When Amirkhani travelled over to London last year to take on Mike Grundy, he was playing a similar role as he is this weekend. Drafted in as an opponent to help boost the confidence of Grundy, he tore up that script and claimed a first-round finish. Shore is an all-round better fighter than Mike Grundy but he would be foolish to assume this is an easy assignment on Saturday night. Shore needs a big win and if he takes a risk-free approach, he will have more than enough to secure a points victory.  

*Click the drop-down arrow to view full bet research

Our MMA Scout has picked out the following bets for this fight 👇🏼

Flyweight

Muhammed Mokaev (#12) v Jafel Filho

Further down the card, red-hot flyweight prospect Muhammed Mokaev takes his next step toward a world title against Brazil’s Jafel Filho. Mokaev, who is just 22, has got his eyes on becoming the youngest-ever UFC champion and you would be brave to write him off. In 3 UFC fights, he has secured two submission wins and he has such a wide range of submission threats that he keeps his opponents on edge for every second of every round. Filho made his UFC entrance via ‘The Contender Series’ but this is an exceptionally tough assignment on his debut. Judging by his record, he is a finisher himself but all the wins on his record have been against fighters at a much lower level than Mohammed Mokaev. Mokaev looks like a potential world champion and if he is to live up to his huge reputation, he will be expected to deal with Filho in a comfortable fashion and if he gets hold of the Brazilian early in the first round, he should have enough to secure another submission victory and potentially another performance bonus.

*Click the drop-down arrow to view full bet research

Our MMA Scout has picked out the following bet for this fight 👇🏼

Haven’t got a Paddy Power account? You’re in luck…

Sign up to Paddy Power and get a full refund if your first bet loses. Grab an account through the offer below and place your first bet on any of the UFC 286 Best Bets. You can grab yourself:

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Cash in hand if it wins
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Or you get your £30 stake back as cash

18+ please gamble responsibly. All odds displayed correctly at the time of publishing.