UFC 223 Betting Odds and Predictions

UFC 223 has turned into a complete mess. After Conor McGregor’s bus incident on Thursday and Max Holloway being deemed unfit to compete, the card looks completely different than it did 48 hours before the event.

So, I am going to give you a quicker, shorter than usual preview and predictions for the newly revised UFC 223 card.

First, the main event between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Al Iaquinta. Iaquinta is a well-rounded fighter with excellent defense in every aspect of the game. However, the only time we have seen him fight in the last two years was a quick victory over a shop-worn Diego Sanchez. Nurmagomedov has the best grappling in MMA and though there are absolutely some holes in his striking game, it simply doesn’t matter once “The Eagle” gets his hands on his opponent. Nurmagomedov will win but don’t doubt Iaquinta’s ability to make this one tough for the Russian.

The co-main event, which thankfully has not been affected, sees Joanna Jedrzejczyk look to regain her strawweight title vs Rose Namajunas. Jedrzejczyk was clearly not herself in the first fight, which can likely be attributed to her inability to crack Namajunas mentally before stepping foot into the Octagon. And though Jedrzejczyk is more focused this time around, Namajunas is a much more complete mixed martial artist and I see “Thug Rose” squeaking out a tough win.

Calvin Kattar and Renato Moicano are similar fighters in the fact that they like to overwhelm opponents in the striking game. Kattar prefers to be the aggressor while Moicano likes to stick at range, working his jabs and leg kicks. I give the edge to Moicano thanks to his movement and ability to keep calm against an aggressive striker. 

Zabit Magomedsharipov, one of the best prospects in the featherweight division, gets his chance to shine on the PPV when he takes on Kyle Bochniak. Magomedsharipov absolutely demolished his first two opponents in the UFC on his way to submission victories. Bochniak is a low-output striker who is more concerned about defense than offense. But in all honesty, Bochniak is being fed to Magomedsharipov. This should not even be a contest.

A couple of high-octane combatants face off in the PPV curtain-jerker, as UFC stalwart Joe Lauzon takes on Chris Gruetzemacher. Lauzon has natural pop in his hands but poor striking defense and is at his best in scrambles when he can use his slick submissions. Gruetzemacher has not attempted a takedown in his UFC tenure; instead, “Gritz” focuses on relentless forward pressure in the striking game. Lauzon’s tendency to get hit is a big concern but I expect his grappling skills to shine through.