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The UFC Vegas 92 event taking place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas this weekend could be thrilling with several interesting pairings that may result in upsets. The main event, on the other hand, will feature an unbeaten fighter going against a veteran when Edson Barboza takes on Lerone Murphy for a featherweight main event fight.
Barboza is famous for his kicks that can wreck any opponent and their striking abilities; he aims to continue his dominance by ensuring he wins his third fight in a row thus proving that he is still capable of competing at the highest level. On the contrary, Murphy hopes to maintain an unblemished record and make a statement against his most formidable foe yet- who also happens to be an honored veteran in this sport. This match between strikers like Barboza and a well-rounded fighter like Murphy would undoubtedly be explosive.
Another significant fight on the card is the co-main event between Khaos Williams, who has extreme power as well as knockout ability in the welterweight division, and Carlston Harris, a submission expert who recently found success inside the Octagon. It’s going to be a classic striker versus grappler contest where both men have very clear paths to victory.
The rest of the card is filled with exciting prospects and veterans looking to make their mark. The women's strawweight division will see Angela Hill, a fan favorite known for her toughness and durability, face off against Luana Pinheiro, a rising star in the strawweight division.
Indeed some fighters are looking forward to growing within their respective divisions just like they will use it as a steppingstone towards their next bout. Moreover, BJJ black belt Melissa Gatto faces off against Tamires Vidal in the bantamweight division while Abus Magomedov from Dagestan fights Warlley Alves in the welterweight division.
With a great fight card comes money to be made, we take a look at the top betting underdogs for this weekend's stacked fight night event.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of BetOnline.
UFC Vegas 92 Top Betting Underdogs
Edson Barboza: +132
Luana Pinheiro: +120
Tamires Vidal: +270
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Edson Barboza (+132) vs. Lerone Murphy
This weekend’s UFC Vegas 92 main event highlights a stylistic clash between experienced striker Edson Barboza and up-and-coming contender Lerone Murphy. In as much as Murphy presents a dangerous opponent, Barboza's expertise and technical know-how might be what tips the scale in this featherweight showdown.
Barboza, famous for his lethal calf kicks and wide array of strikes, has a level of accuracy that is unmatched. It will not go well with Murphy who thrives on aggression and power if he cannot maintain distance, control the tempo, and mix in the takedowns.
Barboza has fought some of the biggest names in the division which gives him the experience against high-level opposition in big fights coming into this matchup against a young up-and-comer. His experience will be a big help in navigating past the early onslaughts from Murphy, and then if he can do that he can capitalize on his mistakes and see Barboza pull off a highlight-reel finish. Even though Muprhy's wrestling and grappling skills can result in a win, Barboza’s takedown defense has been remarkably stout over the years even more so in the featherweight division.
It's going to come down to Barboza keeping this fight on the feet and at kicking range where he can utilize his kicks to keep Murphy at bay. If Barboza can do that and defend the takedowns there's a good chance we see another masterful performance from Edson Barboza extending his winning streak to three.
Luana Pinheiro (+120) vs. Angela Hill
In a crucial strawweight match at UFC Vegas 92, Luana Pinheiro will take on Angela Hill.
Because of her background in judo, Pinheiro has the upper hand in the grappling exchanges. She has proved to be proficient in controlling her opponents on the ground and executing submissions with a black belt in Judo and a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Six of her 11 wins came by way of first-round stoppages including four submission victories.
Pinheiro’s striking has improved greatly during her time as a professional MMA fighter. Now she is a well-rounded fighter who can compete on the feet as well as on the mat where she is the strongest. While she may not be on the level of Angela Hill on the feet, she still can compete with her there keeping it close until she's able to corral her against the cage in hopes of utilizing her judo.
Hill’s takedown defense has also been suspect during her time with UFC. That said, Hill only boasts a 75% success rate for her takedown defense. This gives an opportunity for Pinheiro to take this fight to the mat. Pineirho has had some good numbers getting the fight to the mat during her time in the UFC, she averages 2.36 takedowns landed per 15 minutes with a success rate of 40% which equates to approximately 5.90 attempts per fight.
This fight is going to come down to whether or not Pinheiro can land takedowns and spend as much time as she can clinch up with Hill against the cage. If she can make this fight a grueling clinch or grappling affair she can control Hill for the vast majority of this fight giving her the nod on the judge's scorecards.
Tamires Vidal (+270) vs. Melissa Gatto
Vidal will be taking on Melissa Gatto in a much-anticipated women’s bantamweight fight this weekend at UFC Vegas 92.
Vidal has impressive striking precision and power. Her power was evident when she beat Ramona Pascual in a third-round TKO by flying knee to the body, showing her prowess as a striker and a quick finisher. Her ability to land devastating power shots could be the difference-maker in this fight against Gatto who has struggled on the feet in her recent two losses to Ariane Da Silva and Tracy Cortez.
Her ground game is solid. Two of her seven wins have come by submission as she executed a heel hook and a kimura in the submissions on her resume. Despite having a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu background, Gatto struggles to land takedowns with only four out of nineteen attempts landing during her time in UFC. Vidal can nullify Gatto’s Jiu-Jitsu moves if she can keep this fight on her feet.
Vidal is going to have more success the later this fight goes as we've seen Gatto struggle down the stretch in her last two fights. Also, this fight being at bantamweight if this is a high-paced fight, which surely could be, her cardio could potentially be even worse than it has been in her last two losses.
If Vidal can keep this fight on her and press forward landing heavy shots she could potentially get another KO finish on her resume or get the nod on the judge's scorecards.
