UFC 215 Fight Preview and Betting Picks

Conor McGregor won’t be headlining and Floyd Mayweather is nowhere to be found, but UFC 215 packs plenty of star power that MMA betting enthusiasts everywhere need to know about. With two championship bouts and several otherwise interesting matchups on the card, UFC 215 looks like it could be a bigger thriller than the recently completed McGregor vs. Mayweather affair.Better yet, I’ve got a handful of expert picks and UFC betting odds on the top four bouts on the UFC 215 card, now, let’s get to it. Let’s get started with the welterweight matchup between Rafael dos Anjos and Neil Magny.

UFC 215 Fight Preview and Betting Picks

When: September 9, 2017Where: Rogers Place, Edmonton, CATV: PPVLive Stream: UFC Fight Pass

Rafael dos Anjos (26-9) vs. Neil Magny (19-5)

UFC 215 Odds: Magny +160 / dos Anjos -190Analysis: The 32-year-old dos Anjos snapped a two-fight losing streak by beating Tarec Saffiedine by way of unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night in June. The 29-year-old Neil Magny has won four of his last five including his unanimous decision win over Johny Hendricks at UFC 207 in December.At 80 inches, Magny has a 10-inch reach advantage and is bigger and stronger than dos Anjos, but it is the latter that is the more experienced fighter of the two in this matchup. Still, I’m going with Neil Magny seeing as how he’s electrifying with his power, having two of his last four and four of his last eight bouts with Fight of the Night performances. Neil Magny wins via third round KO (punches) to push Rafael dos Anjos one step closer to retirement.Pick: Neil Magny via Third Round KO

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Amanda Nunes (14-4) vs. Valentina Shevchenko (14-2)

UFC 215 Odds: Amanda Nunes +105 / Valentina Shevchenko -125Amanda Nunes (14-4) will look to make her second successful bantamweight title defense when she takes on 29-year-old Russian Valentina Shevchenko after pulling out of their scheduled UFC 214 matchup last month.Nunes has won five straight bouts including her 2016 meeting against Shevchenko which she won via unanimous decision. Shevchenko has used her 67-inch reach to win two straight fights and seven of her last eight with her only loss since 2011 coming against Nunes.Fight Prediction: Simply put, I like Valentina Shevchenko for the huge upset. A whopping 71 percent of Amanda Nunes’ victories have come via KO or TKO, but Valentina Shevchenko is apparently a more versatile fighter that has won 39 percent of her fights via KO or TKO and a nearly identical 36 percent via submission. Again, I smell an upset brewing.Pick: Valentina Shevchenko via Submission

Demetrious Johnson (26-2-1) vs. Ray Borg (11-2)

UFC 215 Odds: Ray Borg +725 / Demetrious Johnson -105030-year-old Demetrious ‘Mighty Mouse’ Johnson might stand just 5-foot-3 and weigh ‘just’ a 125 pounds, but he’s an unadulterated package of speed, power and athleticism. Johnson has used his 66-inch reach to successfully defend the inaugural flyweight title he won back in 2012 a whopping 10 times.Johnson most recently smacked Wilson Reis around at UFC on FOX in April via a third round submission (armbar) in a thrilling Performance of the Night outing that tied the UFC record for most consecutive title defenses.The ‘super versatile’ Johnson has recorded five wins via KO, 10 via submission and 11 by way of decision. 23-year-old Ray Borg has won two straight bouts including his unanimous decision win over Jussier Formiga at UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Gastelum in March and has recorded one career win by way of KO, six by way of submission and four via decision while suffering two career decision losses. The 5-foot-4 Borg has a 63-inch reach and specializes in Gaidojutsu.Fight Analysis: Ray Borg is a pretty good fighter, but Demetrious Johnson is going down as an all-time great. I completely expect the aptly named ‘Mighty Mouse’ to beat the hell out of the inexperienced Ray Borg by either submission, or, more likely, via knockout.UFC 215 Pick: Demetrious Johnson via Third Round KO