By Kenny Burgess
UFC 290 is set to take place this weekend at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It’s a huge PPV event as there are two-title fights featuring three fighters holding titles. I’m going to break down some of my best bets and picks on the card.
Robert Whittaker vs. Dricus du Plessis: Robert Whittaker via decision (+180)
Robert Whittaker is an overwhelming favorite heading into this matchup, but I think some may be overlooking Dricus du Plessis a bit. Whitaker is definitely the better fighter, but he hasn’t won a fight by having it stopped in eight consecutive bouts. Also, du Plessis is a tough fighter and is currently riding a seven-fight win streak, and can at least hang in there for three rounds.
Alexander Volkanovski vs. Yair Rodriguez: Fight to go the distance: NO (-120)
This is the main event and it’s for the featherweight title. Alexander Volkanovski is the favorite, but he isn’t necessarily known for being a finisher. He does have seven first-round finishes to his name, but Volkanovski loves to grind it out and wear down his opponent. Of the two fighters, Yair Rodriguez is more well-known as a finisher and has five first-round finishes himself. Rodriguez’s stamina has come into question before, so Volkanovski could finish him towards the end of the five rounds.
Jimmy Crute vs. Alonzo Menifield: Menifeld +100
Alonza Menifield is the underdog in this fight. While he’s fought Jimmy Crute before and lost because of a rules violation, if Menifield hadn’t grabbed the fence in the third round, he would have won by unanimous decision. It’s not like Menifield’s earlier success was fluky either — he’s dropped and nearly finished Crute on two separate occasions — so he could potentially finish the job tonight and pick up the victory.
Photo credit: UFC’s Instagram
