We’re set to bring you another betting prediction and pick for UFC 303: Pereira vs. Prochazka as we kick-off the Prelim Card in the Bantamweight (135) Division. Undefeated prospect Payton Talbott will take on France’s Yanis Ghemmouri in an action-packed fight early on the card. Check out our UFC odds series for our Talbott-Ghemmouri prediction and pick.

Payton Talbott (8-0) has looked stellar through his first two UFC appearance thus far. After a quick amateur rise, a Contender Series win, and a submission-win in his debut, Payton Talbott established himself as the next prospect up following a second-round finish of Cameron Saaiman just three months ago. He’ll hope to impress as the heavy betting favorite on Saturday. Talbott stands 5’10” with a 70.5-inch reach.

Yanis Ghemmouri (12-2) is making his second UFC appearance following a debut loss to his fellow countryman William Gomis last year. Prior to that, he rode a nine-fight winning streak that included five victories by finish. As a massive underdog, he’ll have a crack at notching his first UFC win and effectively stealing the spotlight from his opponent. Ghemmouri stands 5’9″ with a 69-inch reach.

Here are the UFC 303 Odds, courtesy of BetOnline. 

UFC 303 Odds: Payton Talbott-Yanis Ghemmouri Odds

Payton Talbott: -1800

Yanis Ghemmouri: +900

Over 1.5 rounds: -170

Under 1.5 rounds: +140

*Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why Payton Talbott Will Win

At just 25 and living/training in Nevada his whole life, Payton Talbott performs like a fighter wise beyond his years while staying calm and collected through every moment. His demeanor transfers into the octagon as he sports a technical stance and throws his strikes with conviction. He’s dangerously accurate when he finds his striking rhythm and his frantic pace was made apparent during his beatdown of Cameron Saaiman. At this stage of his career, his chin is extremely solid and he’s at a much-higher level than most prospects with his same amount of experience.

Payton Talbott is good from just about everywhere and we can expect him to add several new wrinkles to his game as he constantly improves. We have yet to see him in a ton of trouble despite facing formidable competition, so it’ll be interesting to see how he responds when faced with some real adversity for the first time. Still, his striking game is predicated on controlling the distance and staying sound defensively, so expect Talbott to dish out some punishment while limiting the damage done on himself.

Why Yanis Ghemmouri Will Win

Yanis Ghemmouri’s UFC debut ended in disappointing fashion when his fight was stopped by the referee due to a body shot that Ghemmouri thought was to his groin. The referee continued the fight in the moment and eventually waved it finally after Ghemmouri walked back to his corner. Despite the outcome, it counts as a loss and he’ll be very determined to come in here and redeem himself following the blunder. He’ll have a massive task on his hands as he faces his toughest competition to date. Ghemmouri may not be as skilled of a striker as Talbott, but his one-punch knockout power will keep him in this fight as long as he’s throwing.

Yanis Ghemmouri does good work in backing his opponents down and shooting for an eventual takedown. His striking often complements his wrestling and he’s very twitchy with his movements in the cage. If he can find a rhythm and force Talbott to walk backwards, it could allow for him to explode into a takedown or big flurry of punches. Given his strength and determination in chasing the takedowns, don’t be surprised if Ghemmouri lands one and finds control time here.

Final Payton Talbott-Yanis Ghemmouri Prediction & Pick

This will be a fun fight to open the Prelims and the UFC is excited about showcasing their newest prospect in hometown Payton Talbott. He made a massive impression following his finish over Cameron Saaiman and he’s clearly the odds-on favorite to do something spectacular in this fight.

Yanis Ghemmouri will come into this fight with a chip on his shoulder given the betting odds and how his last fight ended. Still, he possesses a ton of power and can shock the world if he’s able to land clean a few times on the feet. Look for him to begin this fight very aggressively as he chases a takedown and tries to put Talbott on his back.

Still, we have to ride with Payton Talbott to win this fight given his moneyline and previous performances leading up to this. There’s not much value in betting his straight-up, so opt towards taking the total under as he tries to finish this fight as quickly as possible.

Click here for more betting news and predictions

Final Payton Talbott-Yanis Ghemmouri Prediction & Pick: Payton Talbott (-1800); UNDER 1.5 Rounds (+140)