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UFC London Best Bets: Fight Card Predictions for Jordan Leavitt vs. Paddy Pimblett

By Reed Wallach

Mar 19, 2022; London, UK; Paddy Pimblett (red gloves) defeats Kazula Vargas (blue gloves) during UFC
Mar 19, 2022; London, UK; Paddy Pimblett (red gloves) defeats Kazula Vargas (blue gloves) during UFC / Per Haljestam-USA TODAY Sports
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The UFC goes across the Atlantic Ocean for their fight night card on Saturday.

The card is headlined by a pair of Heavyweights, Curtis Blaydes and Tom Aspinall, but I have no play there as of this writing. However, there are handful of underdogs I'm eyeing on the card, keep reading to check out who I'm on.

Last Saturday's card was shaping up to be one of the most profitable of the year before Brian Ortega's shoulder gave out, making it a wash of a card. Onto this week!

Odds via consensus sportsbooks

UFC Record: 42-60 -14.03U

Jordan Leavitt (+215) vs. Paddy Pimblett (-290)

One of my favorite spots in MMA betting: fading a rising name that the UFC is giving a high billing. Pimblett has rolled in his first two UFC fights, winning both in the first round, and now are giving him a main card slot in his native country in London.

The crowd will be backing him for sure and he's an electric fighter, but I'm going to go the other way. Leavitt is far from a contender but knows how to make fights awkward with style of jiu-jitsu and is more than capable of dragging this fight to the ground.

Sure, Pimblett can win this fight early like he has done in the past, but what if this fight gets out of the first round and we see the Englishmen in an unfamiliar situation? I'll take a stab at Leavitt winning an ugly fight that doesn't live up to the hype at long odds.

PICK: Leavitt ML (+215) 0.5U, Leavitt by Decision (+500) 0.5U

Kyle Nelson (+230) vs. Jai Herbert (-310)

Neither of these two are going to go that far in the UFC, but Jai Herbert's chin is as weak as they come. Yes, Herbert has a six inch reach advantage, but has been finished in three of four fights in the UFC including a brutal one to Ilia Topuria last time out.

Nelson is coming up from Featherweight to Lightweight and is also someone that is going to bring violence to this fight. He has been finished in three losses as well in the UFC, but Nelson has shown a willingness to to get inside and if he is able to withstand some strikes from Herbert, he will be able to get his opponent to the mat and take control of this fight.

At this number, it's too wide not to play the underdog in one that will likely see a finish in the first few minutes, I'll take the long odds on Nelson to withstand the first few strikes and find a way to touch Herbert's chin.

PICK: Nelson ML (+230) 0.5U, Nelson ITD (+325) 0.5U

UFC London Best Bets

  • Makwan Amirkhani: +162
  • Charles Johnson: +350
  • Marc Diakiese/Nikita Krylov -121
  • Nikita Kyrlov ML (-198)
  • Paul Craig ITD: +168
  • Jack Hermansson -110, Hermansson by Decision (+255) 0.5U
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