Another PPV main event, another problem. Saturday's UFC 225 main event from the United Center in Chicago was in serious danger on Friday after title challenger Yoel Romero had issues once again making weight for his bout with champion Robert Whittaker. Although the fight will still go on as a non-title bout after Romero came in 0.2 pounds over the 185-pound limit, there is still plenty of buzz about the rest of this card in the Windy City.
More UFC 225: Storylines | CM Punk's worst nightmare? | Covington hellbent on gold
The 13 fight card has been described as UFC's best from top to bottom so far in 2018 with just about each fight brining its own set of storylines. From veterans looking to get back into the win column to prospects looking for their first wins to guys looking to fulfill a lifelong dream, UFC 225 has something for just about everyone.
While the four names on the marquee may be the best fighters taking center stage on Saturday night, the biggest attraction to most casual fans will be former WWE superstar CM Punk. The man who made his debut in MMA in 2016 when he was crushed by Mickey Gall will get a shot at redemption when he squares off against Mike "The Truth" Jackson -- somebody Gall also beat in 2016.
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Let's take a look at the full fight card with the latest odds from Bovada.
UFC 225 fight card, odds
| Favorite | Underdog | Weghtclass |
|---|---|---|
Robert Whittaker (c) -260 | Yoel Romero +200 | Middleweight |
| Colby Covington -140 | Rafael dos Anjos +110 | Interim welterweight title |
| Holly Holm -175 | Megan Anderson +145 | Women's featherweight |
Tai Tuivasa -230 | Andrei Arlovski +180 | Heavyweight |
| Mike Jackson -210 | CM Punk +170 | Welterweight |
Curtis Blaydes -185 | Alistair Overeem +150 | Heavyweight |
| Claudia Gadelha -450 | Carla Esparza +325 | Women's strawweight |
| Mirsad Bektic -250 | Ricardo Lamas +195 | Featherweight |
| Rashad Coulter -145 | Chris de la Rocha +115 | Heavyweight |
Anthony Smith -280 | Rashad Evans +220 | Light heavyweight |
| Joseph Benavidez -225 | Sergio Pettis +175 | Flyweight |
| Charles Oliveira -145 | Clay Guida +115 | Lightweight |
| Dan Ige -140 | Mike Santiago +110 | Featherweight |
With a big card on tap, our experts took a crack at picking each of the main card fights. Here are your pick makers: Brian Campbell (combat sports writer), Matthew Coca (producer), Michael Mormile (producer), Jack Jorgensen (editor) and Brandon Wise (editor).
UFC 225 predictions
| Fight | Campbell | Mormile | Coca | Jorgensen | Wise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whittaker vs. Romero | Whittaker | Whittaker | Romero | Romero | Whittaker |
| dos Anjos vs. Covington | dos Anjos | dos Anjos | Covington | dos Anjos | dos Anjos |
Holm vs. Anderson | Holm | Holm | Holm | Holm | Anderson |
| Tuivasa vs. Arlovski | Tuivasa | Arlovski | Tuivasa | Tuivasa | Tuivasa |
| Punk vs. Jackson | Punk | Jackson | Jackson | Jackson | Jackson |
| Overall (2018) | 11-14-0 | 14-11-0 | 13-12-0 | 14-11-0 | 16-9-0 |
Campbell on why Whittaker will win: Whittaker overcame a serious leg injury and the constant danger of Romero's explosive offense to claim a hard-fought decision last July. Aside from Romero's vicious stoppage of Luke Rockhold in February, the only thing that has changed for the "Soldier of God" is that he's a year older at 41. If Whittaker, who exposed Romero's lack of five-round stamina in the first fight, really is all he has teased us to believe, a victory even easier (via late-round knockout) could be in the cards for the rematch.
Jorgensen on why Romero will win: This was honestly a tough one for me. In the end, Romero has all the momentum coming into this one. He's riding the high of finishing Luke Rockhold with ease, and while the champion may be healthy, I can't discount the fact that he's coming back from dealing with some pretty serious medical issues. This time around, the "Soldier of God" gets the best of Whittaker via KO, setting up what will likely be a fun rubber match down the road.
Coca on why Covington will win: He talks the talk, but now it's time to walk the walk. Covington has pushed all the buttons, right or wrong, of dos Anjos and now he has his chance to back up all his smack talk. How's he going to do it? Well, it's going to be ugly. Covington needs to get the fight to the ground. He's a star wrestler, so he's going to have to apply constant pressure to get this fight to the mat. We've yet to see anything truly spectacular lately with Covington, but the man finds ways to get fighters to fight his fight. Covington by decision shouldn't surprise anyone.
Jorgensen on why dos Anjos will win: I respect the run that Covington has been on, despite what I think of him as a character within the UFC, but I'm gonna take the experience of RDA in this one. I don't really see this one having a jaw-dropping finish or anything, but I see dos Anjos earning just enough points on the cards to get the unanimous decision win -- which, of course, will likely send Covington into an unforgettable tirade on the microphone.
Wise on why Anderson will win: She may be making her UFC debut, but that doesn't mean Anderson is a game fighter. The woman who claimed Cris Cyborg's Invicta FC crown after it was vacated has done plenty in the way to bolster her resume. The 28-year-old Aussie brings plenty of power to the ring with her last four fights all coming by knockout. While Holm carries a strong chin and a more veteran presence, it's nearly impossible for me to pick a fighter who is just 1-4 in her last five fights. Expect a technical boxing match with the newcomer scoring the victory.
Mormile on why Arlovski will win: I am taking Arlovski solely on experience. I'm always hesitant on young undefeated fighters who have yet to step up in competition. Tuivasa's last three opponents have a combined record of 3-9 in their past three fights. It seems like UFC is seeing if they can give 'Bam Bam' a big push seeing as he is 7-0 with 7 KOs, but I think Arlovski will drag him into deep waters and win a decision.
Campbell on why Punk will win: The good news for Punk is that he can't look much worse the second time around than he did in his UFC 203 debut in 2016, when an ill-timed takedown attempt led to two minutes of ground-and-pound hell and a submission loss to Mickey Gall. UFC has outright done him a favor by matching him with Jackson -- a former kickboxer turned MMA journalist whose only other pro fight also came against Gall and ended just as poorly. Expect this one to be heavy on grappling, poor or stamina and just sloppy enough for Punk to score a hometown decision.
