ODDSbible MMA: UFC Mexico City Betting Preview

The octagon returns to its highest home in Mexico City, quite literally with the venue set at an altitude of 7,200 feet above sea level.

The thoughtful name of the Mexico City Arena will play host to the twelve-fight strong event that comes to our screens from midnight this evening.

The card certainly lacks any kind of star attraction, but is bolstered by youth with the main event being shared between two twenty-three year olds in Sergio Pettis and Brandon Moreno.

Strawweights Randa Markos and Alexa Grasso take the co-main event position, despite the latter missing the 116-pound weight limit, tipping the scales at 119lbs. Alan Jouban and Niko Price make an all-American welterweight bout south of the border.

There is British interest heading up the preliminary portion with Brad Scott facing off with Sweden's Jack Hermansson. Scott will be looking to build momentum after recently defeating Scott Askham at UFC London.

It isn't a fight card that will replicate the feeling of the hours, days and weeks before UFC 214 but let's not sleep (literally) on it, with it being the final fight card for four weeks.

Our man Darren Russell (@DRussellMMA) looks at the bets to make to carry on your form from the return of the football this weekend.

Sergio Pettis vs. Brandon Moreno

Brandon Moreno to win by submission - 5/2 at SkyBet

Whilst the Pettis name is largely more associated with older brother Anthony being the former lightweight champion, seven years and thirty pounds his junior is brother Sergio. Pettis Junior will be looking to cement his place in the top five of the flyweight division ruled by Demetrious Johnson since its inception in September 2012.

Brandon Moreno is considered to be a rising star of the division, after stunning Hawaiian flyweight Louis Smolka on his UFC debut, stepping in for Sergio Pettis who withdrawn due to injury. The Mexican submitted Smolka inside the first half of Round 1 with a rear-naked choke before going on to defeat Ryan Benoit in a split decision and then submitting ten-fight flyweight veteran Dustin Ortiz in April this year.

Both men hold a purple belt in jiu-jitsu but Pettis hasn't submitted anyone since 2013, before his octagon debut whilst Moreno submitted brown belt Ortiz and has won four of his last five by way of submission.

With the bout scheduled for five, five minute rounds, how long can Pettis avoid Moreno's takedowns and his jiu-jitsu pedigree? Pettis hasn't won inside the distance in the octagon.

Sam Alvey vs. Rashad Evans

Rashad Evans to win by decision - 2/1 at Paddy Power

It's crazy to think that it's been over five years since Jon Jones dethroned Rashad Evans of the light heavyweight crown. Evans, now at middleweight hasn't managed a victory since 2013, with three consecutive losses to Ryan Bader, Glover Teixeira and Daniel Kelly leaving the former 205lbs king on the brink of losing his place in the UFC.

You could describe Sam Alvey as an active fighter. This will be his seventh bout in fourteen months and his fourteenth since Rashad Evans last tasted victory. Alvey tasted defeat in his last bout to Thales Leites just fifteen weeks ago, breaking his ankle in the process.

He might just be too active of a fighter for his own good. Should we discredit that? Definitely not but there's a reason people don't defend titles every two to three months. They recover, have a full training camp and come in to the octagon fresh and raring to go. I doubt Alvey will have been able to have anything close to a full twelve week camp.

I think Evans will outlast and potentially further damage Alvey's ankle en route to a decision victory.

Martin Bravo vs. Humberto Bandenay

Martin Bravo to win by submission - 4/1 at SkyBet

An unbeaten twenty-three-year-old Mexican jiu-jitsu specialist fighting on home soil against a Peruvian, who's four career losses have come by way of submission leaves my head in confusion as to why he'd be 4/1!

Martin Bravo has a well-rounded game, and whilst Bandenay may be happy to exchange on the feet, you'd expect Bravo to dominate in the exchanges on the floor.

I think Bravo for sure wins the fight, to maintain his unbeaten record at featherweight. He could also knock the Peruvian out, but I feel this represents crazy value at 4/1.

ODDSbible's Treble - Rashad Evans, Alan Jouban and Brandon Moreno all to win - 5/1 enhanced by SkyBet

Featured Image Credit:

Anonymous