UFC 290 takes place this Saturday the 8th of July, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and we take a closer look at the bouts featuring South Africans Dricus Du Plessis and Cameron Saaiman.
The main event will feature Alexander Volkanovski (2/7) defending the UFC featherweight title against Yair Rodriguez (16/5) and there are 12 supporting fights – click here for betting on the full card.
Our focus is on two specific bouts featuring South African fighters, namely Dricus Du Plessis who is sponsored by World Sports Betting and Cameron Saaiman who are both yet to face a loss in their UFC careers.
Robert Whittaker vs Dricus Du Plessis
Main card Middleweight event:
Robert Whittaker, fighting out of Australia, is extremely experienced in the middleweight division and is currently in 2nd place on the rankings. He is well known for his effective striking and he will certainly bring a lot of confidence into this bout having won four of his last 5 UFC bouts by unanimous decision showing that Whittaker can easily go the distance. His only loss came in a title fight against Israel Adesanya, the current middleweight champion.
Dricus Du Plessis fights out of South Africa, has created a huge name for himself in the UFC having won all 5 of his fights so far, he is currently ranked at number 5 in the middleweight division and he will be determined to remain undefeated. Dricus has also shown some great striking power in his recent fights with most of his wins being a result of a TKO.
Betting – click here to bet
Whittaker 3/10
Du Plessis 26/10
Prediction
This bout, between two top tier MMA Fighters promises to be an absolute thriller with both fighters aware that a win at UFC 290 could result in a title shot against Adesanya. Although Whittaker shows great experience and stamina, I believe that Du Plessis will defy the betting odds and come out on top with a submission in round 3.
My bets
Winning Method: Du Plessis by submission at 17/2
Winner and Exact Rounds: Duplessis in the 3rd at 20/1
Cameron Saaiman vs Terrence Mitchell
Early-Preliminary Bantamweight bout:
Cameron Saaiman is a young South African fighter who is on the rise. He has recently entered the UFC but has kept a clean record so far having won both of his fights. Prior to his entry into the UFC he won all of his professional bouts, leaving him on 8 wins and no losses and he enters the fight as the heavy favourite.
Saaiman is known for his clean striking and the majority of his wins have been as a result of a TKO. He will be looking to make a statement in the bantamweight division with a big win over the underdog, Mitchell.
Terrence Mitchell, fighting out of America is well known for his grappling and submissions and has had no problem dealing with his last 5 opponents. This will be Mitchell’s first UFC bout and he will enter the octagon as a massive underdog. Mitchell possesses a lot of experience in mixed martial arts and he is certainly capable of an upset if he catches Saaiman with his deadly “Rear Naked Choke”.
Betting – click here to bet
Saaiman 2/9
Mitchell 15/4
Prediction
Although Mitchell may pose a threat to Saaiman, I believe Saaiman will prove why he is the favourite with a dominant performance, winning by TKO in the second round.
My bets
I will share my bets on this one later in the week when more markets are available.
Click here for Mixed Boosters on UFC 290
All prices correct at the time of writing but are subject to change
