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We're back again with another betting prediction and pick for UFC Tampa as we turn our attention towards this next Prelim bout in the Featherweight (145) Division. Miles Johns of Dallas, Texas will face off against Brazil's Felipe Lima in a can't-miss scrap on the Prelims. Check out our UFC odds series for our Johns-Lima prediction and pick.
Miles Johns (15-2) has gone 6-2-0-1 inside of the UFC since debuting in 2019. After a controversial ‘No Contest' against Dan Argueta, he won back-to-back fights via unanimous decision over Cody Gibson and Douglas Silva de Andrade. Now he'll look for another stunning victory as the betting underdog. Johns stands 5'7″ with a 66-inch reach.
Felipe Lima (13-1) will be making his second walk to the UFC octagon following a submission win over Muhammad Naimov in June of this year. The debut win also earned him a “Performance of the Night” bonus and just one fight in, he's already being billed as a heavy favorite against some of the top talent in the division. Lima stands 5'6″ with a 68-inch reach.
Here are the UFC Tampa Odds, courtesy of DraftKings.
UFC Tampa Odds: Miles Johns-Felipe Lima Odds
Miles Johns: +210
Felipe Lima: -258
Over 2.5 rounds: -270
Under 2.5 rounds: +200
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Why Miles Johns Will Win
Miles Johns is another fighter on this card that has had to make wholesale changes to his fight camp and approach moving forward, but it's paid dividends for him over his last three fights. His unanimous decisions over stern competition were impressive and he was slated to fight Cody Garbrandt in a big fight for his last two bouts. After a number of cancellations, he'll be tasked with facing another young, hungry prospect who may remind him a bit of his younger self.
Miles Johns knocks out Kevin Natividad and Anderson Dos Santos. #ufc #knockout #ko #milesjohns #ufcvegas pic.twitter.com/a7gd1FVSkZ
— Alex Silverstein (@silversteinmma) November 6, 2024
Fighting at Featherweight, Johns has shown that he's one of the biggest power punchers in the division with four wins coming by way of knockout. He's fully capable of sitting opponents down with one punch and he's extremely quick to jump in and finish the fight with his hands. He's also a very underrated wrestler and fights behind an impressive 85% takedown defense. If he's able to keep this fight on the feet and within boxing range, he'll always stand a chance to finish the fight and land a knockout blow.
Why Felipe Lima Will Win
Felipe Lima made his UFC debut against an extremely tough and experienced opponent in Muhammad Naimov and while it took him the third round to do so, he notched a seamless submission and cemented himself as a name to watch in the division. At just 26 years old, he still has a lot to learn in the fight game but Lima is wise beyond his years in terms of his fight-IQ. He's very methodical and dangerous when it comes to his striking and his submission grappling is already at a world-class level this early into his career.
Felipe Lima 🇧🇷 hitting pads ahead of #UFCTampa pic.twitter.com/b1mXaRxBOp
— mma-multiverse (@mma__multiverse) December 11, 2024
Felipe Lima comes into this fight with a ton of confidence and much of that is due to his training with top-level UFC competition. His striking is constantly evolving and while his opponent in this one has great hand speed, we should see Lima be the faster fighter by a significant stretch. His chin and his wrestling will be his biggest strengths during this one, so expect him to be on the attacking end for the majority of this fight.
Final Miles Johns-Felipe Lima Prediction & Pick
This should be another banger on the Prelims and both men have demonstrated a lethal ability to finish the fight in an instant. Miles Johns has been on a hot streak as of late and he's one of the hardest hitting fighters in the division. If he's able to remain composed and wait for his perfect shot, he could lull his young opponent into making a dire mistake and costing himself the fight. Either way, we can't sleep on Miles Johns in the underdog spot here.
Nevertheless, Felipe Lima hasn't shown many holes in his game despite his younger age and given his full training camp heading into this fight, we should see an even better version that we've seen in the past. His quickness while on the feet will give him a stern advantage, while his ability to scramble and chase submissions should put him ahead as the betting favorite. Let's roll with the young contender to notch his second win in as many UFC fights.
Final Miles Johns-Felipe Lima Prediction & Pick: Felipe Lima (-258); UNDER 2.5 Rounds (+200)
