Vicente Luque holds the UFC welterweight record for finishes, and he hopes to add to his total Saturday in the main event of UFC Fight Night: Luque vs. Muhammad against fellow ranked contender Belal Muhammad. The matchup with potential title shot implications anchors the main fight card (8:30 p.m. ET) from the Apex facility in Las Vegas. The fourth-ranked Luque has 13 career UFC finishes, the top mark in the welterweight division. His resume includes a highlight-reel knockout of Muhammad in their 2016 meeting, and a repeat performance in the rematch Saturday would make Luque the front-runner for a
Luque is a -170 favorite (risk $170 to win $100), while Muhammad is listed as the +150 underdog in the latest Luque vs. Muhammad odds from Caesars Sportsbook. In the co-main event, middleweight prospects take the spotlight when Gadzhi Omargadzhiev (-140) meets Caio Borralho (+120). Before locking in any UFC Fight Night: Luque vs. Muhammad 2 picks, make sure you check out the MMA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine expert Andrew Gombas.
Gombas is a former NCAA wrestler who taps into his experience on the mat to dissect the X’s and O’s of MMA matchups in a manner that sets him apart from other MMA analysts. He started the MMA handicapping service MMA Knockout Bets in 2018 and has shown a profit every year since.
With more than 1,400 selections tracked by the third-party monitoring service Bet MMA, he has shown a 6 percent return on investment for his followers. Over the past two years, his followers have netted a profit of more than $10,000.
Gombas launched the 2022 UFC season in January by recommending that SportsLine members back Calvin Kattar (+200) against Giga Chikadze (-240) in a battle of ranked featherweight contenders in the main event. Kattar dominated wire to wire to give Gombas’ followers an easy winner. Anyone who has followed him already has seen massive returns.
Now, with UFC Fight Night: Luque vs. Muhammad 2 in sight, Gombas has studied the card from every angle and released his top MMA picks. Those picks are only available at SportsLine.
UFC Fight Night: Luque vs. Muhammad 2 preview
Both Luque and Muhammad seem to see their careers peaking at the same time. Luque (21-7-1) has won 10 of his last 11 fights while emerging with a reputation as perhaps the best pure striker in the division. His lone defeat in that span came against former title challenger Stephen Thompson, and he has since won four straight fights.
The 30-year-old Brazilian also has plenty of expertise with the ground game, as evident by submission victories in his previous two outings. His last fight ended with a submission of veteran contender Michael Chiesa, who many observers believe is the best grappler in the division.
Luque’s straight-forward style could be tested by Muhammad (20-3-1), who enters Saturday’s main event riding a seven-fight unbeaten streak. The 32-year-old Chicago native is known for taking his opponents away from their strength with a suffocating combination of speed wrestling and striking.
His last fight came in December against Thompson, a decorated striker who is known for capitalizing on any opportunities his opponents provide. But Muhammad’s nonstop pace forced Thompson into a defensive mode and Muhammad dominated most of the action. You can only see who to back here.
UFC Fight Night predictions
We’ll share one of Gombas’ UFC Fight Night picks here: He is backing Mayra Bueno Silva (-360) to get her hand raised against Yanan Wu (+300) in a matchup of women’s bantamweight prospects on the main card.
Bueno Silva (7-2-1) is a grappling specialist and “Dana White’s Contender Series” alum who joined the UFC in September 2018 following her victory on the promotion’s recruiting program. The 30-year-old Brazilian fighter has gone 2-2-1 in five UFC appearances while facing mostly upper-tier competition. Her last fight ended in a decision loss to rising prospect Manon Fiorot in October of last year.
Wu (12-4) is a well-rounded prospect who has notched six knockouts and five submissions among her 12 professional MMA victories. The 25-year-old Chinese fighter has dropped two straight decisions, including one to Joselyn Edwards in January.
“I expect Bueno Silva to be the more skilled fighter in all positions. Look for her to control this fight and eventually find a submission,” Gombas told SportsLine.
How to make UFC Fight Night selections
Gombas also has strong picks for Luque vs. Muhammad and other fights on the UFC Fight Night card. He’s also backing a fighter who “will look to land takedowns and have success from the top” on his way to earning a dominant victory. Those UFC Fight Night picks are only available at SportsLine.
Who wins Luque vs. Muhammad? And what other UFC Fight Night picks do you need to see before locking in your own picks? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed top picks on UFC Fight Night, all from the insider who’s up more than $10,000 on MMA picks the past two years, and find out.
UFC Fight Night odds, fight card
Vicente Luque (-170) vs. Belal Muhammad (+150)
Gadzhi Omargadzhiev (-140) vs. Caio Borralho (+120)
Rafa Garcia (-120) vs. Jesse Ronson (+100)
Pat Sabitini (-360) vs. TJ Laramie (+300)
Mayra Bueno Silva (-360) vs. Yanan Wu (+300)
Martin Buday (-210) vs. Chris Barnett (+180)
Istela Nunes (-200) vs. Sam Hughes (+175)
Heili Alateng (-175) vs. Kevin Croom (+155)
Drakkar Close (-500) vs. Brandon Jenkins (+400)
Pannie Kianzad (-300) vs. Lina Lansberg (+250)
Trey Ogden (-120) vs. Jordan Levitt (+100)
Miguel Baeza (-175) vs. Andre FIalho (+155)
Devin Clark (-165) vs. William Knight (+145)
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