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UFC Vegas 78: Vicente Luque vs. Rafael Dos Anjos continues with the featured bout on the prelims with a fight in the men's bantamweight division between JP Buys and Marcus McGhee. Buys is coming off three straight losses to start his UFC career meanwhile, McGhee made the most of his short-notice opportunity by getting a second-round submission victory in his debut. With that said, check out our UFC odds series for our Buys-McGhee prediction and pick.
JP Buys (9-5) is still searching for his first win inside the octagon after dropping his first three fights with the promotion. He hasn't fought in over a year with hopes of that time had done him some good with Buys being finished in two of his three losses with the promotion. Buys takes on Marcus McGhee in the second fight of his UFC career this weekend at UFC Vegas 78.
Marcus McGhee (7-1) made the most of his short-notice opportunity when he took on Journey Newson in a fight at 145 lbs. He was able to sink in the rear-naked choke against Newson in the second round to capture his seventh pro win and third win in a row. He will be looking to keep his winning ways going when he takes on JP Buys this weekend at UFC Vegas 78.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
UFC Vegas 78 Odds: JP Buys-Marcus McGhee Odds
JP Buys: +290
Marcus McGhee: -385
Over 1.5 Rounds: +108
Under 1.5 Rounds: -136
How to Watch JP Buys vs. Marcus McGhee
TV: ESPN
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 4:00 p.m. ET/ 1:00 p.m. PT (Prelims)
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Why JP Buys Will Win
JP Buys makes his return to the octagon after being on the shelf for almost 14 months after getting knocked out in under two minutes in his last fight against Cody Durden. His last fight was at flyweight but he is now moving back up to bantamweight to take on MMA Lab product Marcus McGhee. Buys has his back against the wall big time coming into this fight. He has now lost three straight fights and is on the verge of getting released if he isn't victorious this weekend against McGhee.
McGhee is going to bring the fight to Buys right off the bat just like he did against Newson in his UFC debut. Buys will need to use that aggression to his advantage and utilize well-timed takedowns whenever he overextends. McGhee is susceptible to getting taken down and giving up his back. With five of Buys' nine coming by submission that is going to the area where he is going to need to take the fight if wants to get back into the win column this weekend.
Why Marcus McGhee Will Win
Marcus McGhee delivered and then some on his short-notice opportunity when he took on Journey Newson. McGhee was taking it to Newson early and often and then in the second round he was able to take him down, take the back and submit the Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt. It was an eye-opening performance for those that didn't know about McGhee prior to getting the call to the big show.
He is a powerful striker on the feet with good movement with six of his seven professional wins coming by knockout. While the majority of his fights end by knockout his background before transitioning to MMA was wrestling. McGhee will need to utilize that wrestling background of his to keep this fight on the feet where he should have a distinct power advantage over Buys. If this fight stays on the feet, Buys could be in a world of hurt and McGhee could be on his first win streak inside the octagon.
Final JP Buys-Marcus McGhee Prediction & Pick
This is going to be a good scrap between these two bantamweight contenders for however long it lasts. McGhee has yet to see the judge's scorecards as he is a kill-or-be-killed type of fighter so it is highly unlikely the judges will get involved in this fight. On the feet, Buys is at a terrible mismatch and his chin can't hold up to the power that McGhee possesses but it's the ground game of Buys that really can push McGhee if he is able to get it there. McGhee does have the tendency to give up his back when he does get taken down and that is something Buys can certainly capitalize on. With that said, that is a lot easier said than done as McGhee has shown great takedown defense during his time as a professional. Ultimately, McGhee will look to sprawl and brawl his way to knocking out JP Buys inside two rounds.
Final JP Buys-Marcus McGhee & Pick: Marcus McGhee (-385), Under 1.5 Rounds (-136)
