A classic mixed martial arts stylistic contrast will serve as the headliner of UFC Fight Night: Makhachev vs. Green on Saturday, when fourth-ranked Islam Makhachev takes on surging veteran Bobby Green. The clash of lightweight contenders tops the docket from the promotion’s Apex facility in Las Vegas, with the main UFC fight card set for 7 p.m. ET. Green is a sleek athlete and volume puncher who thrives in the stand-up game, while Makhachev is a ground-game prodigy who is one of the top grapplers in the UFC. The winner will enter the title-shot conversation in a top-heavy division.
Makhachev is a -800 favorite (risk $800 to win $100), while Green is priced at +550 in the latest UFC Fight Night: Makhachev vs. Green odds from Caesars Sportsbook. In the co-main event of UFC Fight Night tonight, middleweight prospects take the spotlight as Misha Cirkunov (-130) meets Wellington Turman (+110). Before finalizing any picks of your own for UFC Fight Night: Makhachev vs. Green, make sure you check 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 kicked off the 2022 UFC season in January by informing SportsLine members to back Calvin Kattar (+200) against Giga Chikadze (-240) in a matchup 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: Makhachev vs. Green in sight, Gombas has studied the card from every angle and released his top MMA picks and expert predictions. Those selections are only available at SportsLine.
UFC Fight Night: Makhachev vs. Green preview
Makhachev has long been pegged as a future UFC champion by countless MMA observers and could be in line for his first title shot with another impressive performance Saturday. The 30-year-old Russian fighter’s grappling and wrestling have drawn comparisons to former champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, who retired with a 29-0 record in 2020. Nurmagomedov also is a mentor and training partner for Makhachev.
Although Makhachev (21-1) uses a pressure style similar to Nurmagomedov, their end-game strategies differ to some extent. Makhachev hunts submissions and has 10 of them among his 21 victories, along with eight decisions and three knockouts.
Makhachev has proved his mettle by defeating veteran contenders who are known for their punching power and takedown defense. He went 3-0 in 2021 and his last appearance resulted in a first-round submission of Dan Hooker, a former top-five contender who is now No. 8 in the division.
Green (29-12-1), 35, has long been a fan favorite because of his furious pace and resilience. He has gone on a late-career surge that has seen him win five of his last seven, but also once endured a seven-fight stretch in which he notched just one victory.
Green dominated against prospect Nasrat Haqparast two weeks ago and reportedly didn’t hesitate to take Saturday’s main event on short notice. It will be his first main event appearance. You can only see who to back in this highly anticipated matchup at SportsLine.
UFC Fight Night predictions
We’ll share one of Gombas’ UFC Fight Night predictions here: He is supporting Terrance McKinney (+110) to upset Fares Ziam (-130) in a showdown of explosive lightweight prospects.
McKinney (11-3) has gained recognition as a power puncher because he has won his past four fights by first-round knockout, with three of them coming within 17 seconds. The 27-year-old Washington native made his UFC debut last June and knocked out veteran Matt Frevola in seven seconds. However, also boasts six submission victories on his record.
Ziam (12-3) is a similarly versatile talent who has notched five knockouts and four submissions among his 12 professional MMA victories. The 24-year-old French fighter lost his UFC debut but has since won two straight fights. His last appearance resulted in a decision win against fellow prospect Luigi Vendramini in June of last year.
“I really like McKinney’s chain-wrestling and see him utilizing the grappling to get it done,” Gombas told SportsLine.
How to make UFC Fight Night selections
Gombas has locked in strong picks for Makhachev vs. Green and other fights on the UFC Fight Night card. He’s also backing a fighter who will “break” their opponent for an upset victory. Those picks are only available at SportsLine.
Who wins Makhachev vs. Green? And what other UFC Fight Night picks do you need to see? 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
Islam Makhachev (-800) vs. Bobby Green (+550)
Misha Cirkunov (-130) vs. Wellington Turman (+110)
Fares Ziam (-130) vs. Terrance McKinney (+110)
Ji Yeon Kim (-155) vs. Priscila Cachoeira (+135)
Ramiz Brahimaj (-350) vs. Micheal Gillmore (+290)
Gregory Rodrigues (-160) vs. Armen Petrosyan (+140)
Josiane Nunes (-210) vs. Ramona Pascual (+180)
Jonathan Martinez (-215) vs. Alejandro Perez (+185)
Arman Tsarukyan (-240) vs. Joel Alvarez (+200)
Carlos Hernandez (-130) vs. Victor Altamirano (+110)
Jinh Yu Frey (-185) vs. Hannah Goldy (+165)
Ignacio Bahamondes (-245) vs. Zhu Rong (+205)
