UFC Vegas 31 is set to be a solid non-PPV fight card. The main event is a highly anticipated Lightweight matchup between Islam Makhachev and Thiago Moisés. The winner is sure to climb the ranks in the UFC. It's time to continue our UFC odds series with a Makhachev-Moisés prediction and pick.
Makhachev seems to be the second coming of Khabib Nurmagomedov. He trains with Khabib and is his prodigy. Makhachev is currently on a dominant seven-fight win streak and looks to earn his eighth consecutive win on Saturday night.
Moisés had a rocky start to his UFC career, but he has settled in as a legitimate prospect. He's currently on a three-fight win streak and has looked great in each of those fights. He aims to pull off a massive upset at UFC Vegas 31, which would catapult him up the Lightweight rankings.
Here's how the sportsbooks have set the odds to the main event of UFC Vegas 31.
UFC Vegas 31 odds: Islam Makhachev-Thiago Moisés odds
Islam Makhachev (-700)
Thiago Moisés (+450)
Over 4.5 rounds (-145)
Under 4.5 rounds (+115)
How Islam Makhachev wins the fight
Considering he trains with Khabib, it's no secret that Makhachev follows a similar fight strategy. He overwhelms his opponents with a dominant ground game while maintaining decent enough striking skills. We should see him on full display as Makhachev has been calling out big names ahead of his fight against Moisés.
His opponent is solid on the ground, so Makhachev should be wary of that going into this fight. Even so, the Russian fighter will likely take it to the ground anyway and use his superior wrestling skills. He'll use ground and pound and put his opponent into a bad situation. Makhachev has great stamina, so he can lay on the heat throughout the entirety of the match.
How Thiago Moisés wins the fight
At 26-years old, Thiago Moisés is a prospect climbing the UFC Lightweight ladder. He's known as a submission artist, as six of his 15 wins have come via submission. Moisés is no slouch in the stand-up game either, as he has also achieved three knockout wins in his professional career.
His best approach will be patience, as Makhachev is likely to pour it on as early as possible. Defense might just be his best offense in this matchup, so look for Moisés to take his time and strike when he needs to. His best bet will be on the ground and use his jiu-jitsu skills to pull off a huge submission. If this fight goes the distance, Makhachev likely controlled the pace of the fight throughout.
Makhachev-Moisés prediction & pick
Makhachev is the heavy favorite for the main event as he's close to taking on the top names in the Lightweight division. Similar to Khabib, Makhachev beats his opponents up with an overwhelming ground game, and that's exactly how he'll go about this fight. Moisés will have to pull off a shocking early stoppage to win this fight, as Makhachev is extremely well-rounded and ready for the next step of his career.
FINAL MAKHACHEV-MOISES PREDICTION: Islam Makhachev wins by submission in round three.
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