UFC Pay-Per-View is back for the first event of 2023 when UFC 283 touches down in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Stay tuned for our UFC odds series with a Moises-Costa prediction and pick.
Glover Teixeira and Jamahal Hill headline what looks to be another great card put on by UFC matchmakers. 17 Brazilian fighters will be in action in front of their home fans. Two titles will be decided and each fighter will be locked in on scoring a $50k performance bonus. Stay tuned for our UFC odds and picks series.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
UFC Odds: Thiago Moises-Melquizael Costa Odds
Thiago Moises: -430
Melquizael Costa: +320
Over (1.5) rounds: -190
Under (1.5) rounds: +150
How to Watch Thiago Moises vs. Melquizael Costa
TV: ABC/ESPN
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET/ 5:00 p.m. PT (Prelims)
*Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Thiago Moises Will Win
Thiago Moises comes into this competition having won his last fight against Christos Giagos by way of rear naked choke submission. Finding his groove early, Moises was able to bring the fight to Giagos and aggressively chase a submission attempt. He has a few other notable wins under his belt including victories against Alex Hernandez, Bobby Green, and Michael Johnson. Moises was also able to survive 4 rounds against now-Champion Islam Makhachev. He will look to pick up another win and get back to his winning ways against a fighter making his debut.
Thiago Moises has a great variety of offensive jiu-jitsu. He's crafty with his submission attempts and will often fake a submission attempt in order to set up a different attempt. He'll have quite the advantage against Melquizael Costa on the ground, and if he's smart, he'll look to get the fight there as soon as possible. Training at American Top Team comes with its many benefits, one of which is having world-class talent at your disposal in the form of training partners. There's no doubt that Moises was able to find fighters during this camp to help replicate this fight. The preparation of Thiago Moises is what will get him a win here.
Why Melquizael Costa Will Win
Melquizael Costa is about as polished as UFC prospects come. On the feet, he has great boxing combinations and head movement. He's able to mix up his strikes to the head and body and utilize a wide array of kicks as well. He's aggressive, but not wild. He hits hard while being precise and technical. He also does a fairly good job of avoiding shots coming at him. This is the perfect stage in Costa's career for him to have his debut. However, this matchup will present some unique challenges for the Brazilian making his first start on the biggest stage.
Thiago Moises was originally set to take on Guram Kutateladze. After Kutateladze had to pull out due to injury, Melquizael Costa got the call on short notice to take on Moises. Costa is the type of fighter that would have signed on the dotted line no matter who the opponent. He went 3-1 in 2022 coming into this, and contrary to conventional wisdom, his competition thus far has been formidable. Melquizael Costa has shown time and time again that his technical striking makes him a tough matchup for any opponent. He'll have to put it all together if he wants to beat the UFC Veteran Moises.
Final Thiago Moises-Melquizael Costa Prediction & Pick
Melquizael Costa will have a great career in the UFC, he is too creative and has too good of a base not to. However, this may be a case of “too much too fast” for the young newcomer. Look for Moises' jiu-jitsu game to shine in this one, I think he pulls off another submission win.
Final Thiago Moises-Melquizael Costa Prediction & Pick: Thiago Moises (-430)
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