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UFC Vegas 86: Jack Hermansson vs. Joe Pyfer continues on the prelims with a fight in the welterweight division between Max Griffin and Jeremiah Wells. Griffin is coming off a one-sided defeat to a rising prospect in the welterweight division as he looks to get that one back this weekend at UFC Vegas 86 meanwhile, Wells suffered his first UFC defeat when he was submitted in the third round. With that said, check out our UFC odds series for our Griffin-Wells prediction and pick.
Max Griffin (19-10) looked like he was having a career resurgence when he rattled off three-straight victories from 2020-2021. Since those three wins, Griffin has gone 1-2 with a split decision victory against Tim Means sandwiched between two decision losses to Neil Magny and Michael Morales. Griffin looks to right the ship and gets back on track when he takes on Jeremiah Wells this weekend at UFC Vegas 86.
Jeremiah Wells (12-3-1) got the call on short notice to take on Miguel Baeza back in June 2020 only for it to fall through. Wells was finally able to make his UFC debut a year later when he crushed Warlley Alves in round two. He subsequently went on a three-fight tear after that victory only to succumb to an anaconda choke midway through round three against Carlston Harris in his last fight. Wells will be looking to get that first UFC loss back when he takes on Max Griffin this weekend at the UFC Apex.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of BetOnline.
UFC Vegas 86 Odds: Max Griffin-Jeremiah Wells Odds
Max Griffin: +130
Jeremiah Wells: -150
Over 1.5 rounds: -260
Under 1.5 rounds: +200
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Why Max Griffin Will Win
Max Griffin has now been in the UFC for the last eight years and now has a record of 7-8 inside the octagon. He has fought the who's who in the welterweight division like Tim Means, Neil Magny, Carlos Condit, and Colby Covington just to name a few. Griffin may be getting up there in age but he hasn't showed signs of slowing down just yet and he looks to prove that he's still got it when he takes on Jeremiah Wells this weekend.
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Griffin has shown insane toughness only being finished by strikes once in his 29-fight professional career and that was due to a barrage of ground strikes from Colby Covington. While Wells has shown that he has heavy hands, it doesn't seem likely that he will be first to crack the chin of Griffin. Wells is a high-level Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and is going to want to take this fight to the mat, so if Griffin can utilize his wrestling to keep this fight upright he could potentially score the upset and get back into the win column.
Why Jeremiah Wells Will Win
Jeremiah Wells came out of nowhere in 2021 at the tender age of 35 making his UFC debut. He rattled off four straight victories with three of those coming inside the distance before falling to fellow welterweight prospect Carlston Harris. Wells has shown he is a dangerous threat no matter where the fight goes and will be looking to take out yet another fighter in his way when he takes on Max Griffin this weekend.
Wells has certainly exceeded many of people's expectations during his short stint with the UFC. It's not every day that you see a 35-year-old welterweight come in and dominate the way he has. He is short in stature for the welterweight division but he makes up for it with his strength and his power. Griffin is certainly the most experienced fighter that Wells has faced thus far in his professional career but one he could overcome as he looks to get back into the win column.
Final Max Griffin-Jeremiah Wells Prediction & Pick
These two aging welterweights look to get back into the win column when they are locked inside the octagon this weekend at UFC Vegas 86. Max Griffin seemed a bit gunshy when he faced off against the dangerous Michael Morales in his last fight and rightfully so as Morales has been wrecking the competition since stepping foot in the UFC. However, Griffin still had his moments and fought hard for 15 minutes against a fighter that is 14 years younger than he was.
As for Wells, he finally found his match when he took on Guyana's Carlston Harris who was able to sinch in his patented anaconda choke after a back-and-forth fight in the third round. He has shown the ability to finish the fight no matter where it takes place and that will come in handy when he faces off against the 15-fight veteran Max Griffin. Ultimately, if Griffin can keep this fight standing it should be his fight to lose as he is the cleaner striker with the reach and volume advantages and that is exactly what I expect this outcome to be as Griffin cruises to a decision as he sprawls and brawls his way to victory.
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Final Max Griffin-Jeremiah Wells Prediction & Pick: Max Griffin (+130), Over 2.5 Rounds (-260)
