ufc 320 predictions, combat card, odds, professional picks

A stacked UFC 320 card, anchored by a pair of title fights, goes down Saturday night time in Las Vegas. The principle occasion contains a mild heavyweight championship rematch between former champion Alex Pereira and the person who took the title from him, titleholder Magomed Ankalaev.

Ankalaev received the primary assembly, at UFC 313 in March, by unanimous choice, touchdown extra strikes and utilizing the clinch to neutralize Pereira’s harmful strikes. There’s extra unhealthy blood heading into the rematch, and each males are in search of to make an enormous assertion this time round.

The co-main occasion options Merab Dvalishvili placing the bantamweight title on the road in opposition to Cory Sandhagen. Dvalishvili is a relentless takedown artist, however he has claimed he’ll knock Sandhagen out in his third protection of the title, which may additionally put him in some rarified air.

The principle card additionally contains a big-time mild heavyweight showdown between high contenders Khalil Rountree and former champ Jiri Prochazka.

With a lot occurring on Saturday night time, let’s look nearer on the full combat card with the most recent odds earlier than we get to our workers predictions and picks for the PPV portion of the festivities that you could take into account earlier than hitting the sportsbooks.

UFC 320 combat card, odds

• Magomed Ankalaev (c) -260 vs. Alex Pereira +210, mild heavyweight title
• Merab Dvalishvili (c) -360 vs. Cory Sandhagen +280, bantamweight title
• Jiri Prochazka -180 vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. +150, mild heavyweights
• Youssef Zalal -430 vs. Josh Emmett +330, featherweights
• Joe Pyfer -240 vs. Abus Magomedov +200, middleweights
• Edmen Shahbazyan -275 vs. Andre Muniz +225, middleweights
• Farid Basharat -450 vs. Chris Gutierrez +350, bantamweight
• Daniel Santos -140 vs. Yoo Joo-Sang +120, featherweights
• Macy Chiasson -180 vs. Yana Santos +150, ladies’s bantamweights
• Patchy Combine -275 vs. Jakub Wiklacz +225, bantamweights
• Punahele Soriano -260 vs. Nikolay Veretennikov +210, welterweights
• Austin Vanderford -280 vs. Ramiz Brahimaj +230, welterweights
• Veronica Hardy -650 vs. Brogan Walker +450, ladies’s flyweights

With such an enormous most important occasion on faucet, the crew at CBS Sports activities went forward with predictions and picks for the primary card. Listed here are your choose makers: Brent Brookhouse (Fight sports activities author), Brian Campbell (Fight sports activities author), Shakiel Mahjouri (author), Michael Mormile (producer) and Brandon Clever (senior editor).

UFC 320 picks, predictions

Ankalaev vs. Pereira

Campbell: Although we’d be taught that each fighters have been decidedly lower than 100% bodily once they squared off in the primary occasion of UFC 313 in March, it is clear that the fighter with the largest enchancment potential if all issues are even within the rematch is Pereira. Even with rumors (that Pereira refuses to substantiate) that “Poatan” was affected by a damaged hand and a battle with norovirus, he nonetheless extremely stuffed all 12 takedown makes an attempt from the wrestling dominant Ankalaev. The brand new champion unquestionably deserved the shut choice win by pressuring Pereira and relying upon his technical benefit to outstrike him. However although Ankalaev is the extra well-rounded fighter of the 2, his passivity in large moments in opposition to elite foes precedes their first assembly and he is not wherever as harmful or clutch because the stalking Pereira. With a full fuel tank, healed physique and much much less distractions this camp after profitable fighter of the yr in 2024 and changing into the UFC’s largest star, anticipate the 38-year-old Pereira to redeem himself in an enormous means after a gradual and aggressive begin. 

Brookhouse: For all of the discuss of Ankalaev’s wrestling, he’s a fighter who has by no means utilized nice takedowns. He averages 0.8 takedowns per quarter-hour of Octagon time with 22% takedown accuracy. The place Ankalaev’s grappling was an element within the first combat with Pereira was in the way it allowed him to manage the clinch and nullify Pereira’s sport. Pereira will make changes, I am positive, and can probably go for broke figuring out he cannot sit again and choose his spots. That might result in a win for Pereira, or it would depart him open for counterfire. It simply looks like Ankalaev is aware of he can clinch and bully Pereira across the cage, even when he cannot rating takedowns, and that needs to be sufficient for one more win for Ankalaev.

Merab vs. Sandhagen

Campbell: It is true, Sandhagen represents essentially the most tough model problem to Dvalishvili throughout his unimaginable run of 13 straight wins that led him to each the bantamweight title and a high 5 spot on the pound-for-pound rankings. Sandhagen even has a powerful fuel tank, as well, and an unpredictable array of leaping strikes that would show to be the Kryptonite to Dvalishvili’s spamming takedown assault. So why has Dvalishvili been put in as a 4-to-1 betting favourite regardless of all of that? As a result of the relentless Georgian merely refuses to be outworked and has subtly improved his placing sufficient alongside the way in which to be an element in opposition to anybody. Dvalishvili additionally has an amazing quantity of momentum on his facet in opposition to an opponent in Sandhagen who’s proficient and has lengthy been seen as a title risk, but can not seem to win the massive one when the chance is offered to him.

Mahjouri: Dvalishvili instructed CBS Sports activities that he’d strike with Sandhagen in pursuit of a knockout. Sandhagen is assured that his wrestling expertise maintain up in opposition to the champion. I do not consider both of them. Dvalisvili’s endurance and wrestling are a deadly mixture. Whereas Sandhagen’s endurance is healthier than most bantamweights, it is laborious to consider he is fully reinvented that a part of his sport. The champ’s constant strain will break Sandhagen’s rhythm, stopping him from constructing a lead along with his dynamic placing. 

Prochazka vs. Rountree Jr. 

Brookhouse: Who actually is aware of with this one, proper? Prochazka wins fights the place he is getting cracked routinely as a result of he simply by no means stops winging knockout pictures. That did not work in opposition to Pereira (twice) as a result of Pereira is a machine constructed to eradicate fighters who will not be defensively accountable. Rountree has the facility to make Prochazka pay for preventing the way in which he does, however when does that ever actually matter in a Prochazka combat?

Mahjouri: Prochazka’s fights are unimaginable to foretell. Offensively, he is likely to be essentially the most harmful fighter in any division, however his defensive lapses and placing obsession make him susceptible. Rountree can crack, and his superior technical expertise may finish his opponent’s night time early. Nonetheless, Prochazka has a knack for overcoming obstacles not named Pereira. With bated breath, I believe Prochazka fights a fight-ending shot that places Rountree down.