Sean Strickland and Jared Cannonier both say they don't know much about each other, but mutual respect exists between the ranked middleweight contenders ahead of their clash Saturday in the main event of UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Strickland. Their five-round battle, which carries title-shot implications, will headline the main UFC fight card (7 p.m. ET) from the Apex facility in Las Vegas. Both fighters are coming off losses to recent champions at UFC 267 in July. Strickland was defeated by Alex Pereira, who went on to take the title from Israel Adesanya. Cannonier lost a decision to Adesanya in the main event of UFC 267. The winner of Saturday's main event will be a top candidate for a title shot next year.
Both fighters are offered at -110 (risk $110 to win $100) in the UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Strickland odds from Caesars Sportsbook. In the co-main event, lightweight prospects square off as Arman Tsarukyan (-170) meets Damir Ismagulov (+150). Before locking in any UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Strickland picks, make sure you check out the MMA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine analyst Kyle Marley.
Marley won the first-ever "ToutMaster" UFC betting contest sponsored by MMAOddsBreaker and appears regularly on multiple MMA betting and daily Fantasy shows. He watches every single fight for every professional MMA card and does extensive research before each event.
Over the past three-plus years, $100 bettors who have followed Marley's picks are up more than $12,000. The accomplished MMA analyst kicked off the 2022 UFC season in January by telling SportsLine members to back Calvin Kattar (+200) against Giga Chikadze (-240) in the featherweight main event. Kattar's lopsided unanimous-decision victory gave Marley's followers another easy winner. Anyone who has followed him is way up.
Now, with UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Strickland in sight, Marley has studied the card from top to bottom and revealed his top selections. Marley's UFC Fight Night picks are only available at SportsLine.
UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Strickland preview
The stakes are high in Saturday's main event because the winner could see himself in a title fight in early 2023 and both combatants have ties to the title picture. In November, Adesanya lost the middleweight to Pereira following five successful defenses. His final defense came against Cannonier, who gave a lackluster performance in his first title shot and lost by unanimous decision in July.
Pereira earned his title shot with a win in an eliminator in July against Strickland, who had been the division's hottest contender. Although a rematch between Pereira and Adesanya appears imminent, either Strickland or Cannonier would be under strong consideration for the next title bid with an impressive performance Saturday.
Cannonier (15-6) is a former heavyweight who didn't find consistent success until he eventually dropped down two weight classes to middleweight (185 pounds), where he regularly enjoys a massive size advantage over his opponents. He has great athleticism and power, but a cautious approach cost him against the elusive Adesanya. However, his elbow-heavy knockout of Derek Brunson in February was one of the UFC's most violent finishes in 2022.
Strickland (25-4) shouldn't be hard to find. His style resembles that of a polished bar-room brawler as he pursues his opponent from the opening bell with relentless strikes and is willing to take a shot to land one or two of his own. However, this strategy backfired against Pereira when the Brazilian landed his signature left hand for a first-round knockout. Strickland hadn't lost in more than four years. You can only see who to pick at UFC Fight Night here.
Top UFC Fight Night predictions
We'll share one of Marley's UFC Fight Night selections here: He is backing Julian Erosa (-180) to get his hand raised against Alex Caceres (+160) in a matchup of veteran featherweights on the main card.
Erosa (28-9) is a versatile fighter who has 11 knockouts and 12 submissions to his credit. The 33-year-old Seattle native lost his first three UFC outings but has since emerged as a force in the decision with wins in six of his past seven. He took a decision against Hakeem Dawodu in September.
Caceres (19-13-1) is an 11-year UFC veteran who has surged to wins in five of his past six appearances. The 34-year-old Miami native is looking to bounce back from a decision loss to Sodiq Yusuff in March.
"The grappling could be close, but I favor Erosa and I see him having a bigger edge on the feet. He can win by any method, but I will take him to win a dominant decision," Marley told SportsLine. See who else to back right here.
How to make UFC Fight Night picks
Marley also has strong picks for Cannonier vs. Strickland and every other bout on the UFC Fight Night card. He's also backing a fighter whose "big edge should be on the floor" to pick up a dominant victory. Those UFC picks are only available at SportsLine.
Who wins Cannonier vs. Strickland? And how exactly does each fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks on every fight at UFC Fight Night, all from the incomparable expert who's up more than $13,000 on MMA in the past three years, and find out.
UFC Fight Night odds, fight card
See full UFC Fight Night picks, predictions, and best bets here
Sean Strickland (-110) vs. Jared Cannonier (-110)
Arman Tsarukyan (-170) vs. Damir Ismagulov (+150)
Amir Albazi (-450) vs. Alessandro Costa (+350)
Julian Erosa (-180) vs. Alex Caceres (+160)
Drew Dober (-150) vs. Bobby Green (+130)
Cheyanne Vlismas (-195) vs. Cory McKenna (+170)
Jake Matthews (-250) vs. Matthew Semelsberger (+210)
Julian Marquez (-165) vs. Deron Winn (+145)
Said Nurmagomedov (-120) vs. Saidyokub Kakhramonov (+100)
Rafa Garcia (-135) vs. Hayisaer Maheshate (+115)
Manel Kape (-250) vs. David Dvorak (+210)
Sergey Morozov (-250) vs. Journey Newsom (+210)
