Bobby Green suspects he's being underestimated by Islam Makhachev ahead of their important lightweight battle in the main event of UFC Fight Night: Makhachev vs. Green on Saturday, but he's happy to let his opponent look past him. Green took a short-notice opportunity for his first main-event appearance and will try to derail the No. 4-ranked Makhachev, who could be in line for a title shot with an impressive victory. Their battle closes the curtain on the MMA docket from the Apex facility in Las Vegas, and the main UFC fight card is slated for 7 p.m. ET. Green fought just two weeks ago, but stepped up as a late replacement and he believes the rising prospect doesn't see him as a legitimate threat.
Makhachev is a -800 favorite (risk $800 to win $100), while Green comes back at +550 in the latest Makhachev vs. Green odds from Caesars Sportsbook. In the co-main event, middleweight prospects step forward as Misha Cirkunov (-130) takes on Wellington Turman, a +110 underdog in the UFC Fight Night: Makhachev vs. Green odds. Before finalizing any UFC Fight Night: Makhachev vs. Green picks, make sure you check the MMA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine expert Andrew Gombas.
Gombas is a former NCAA wrestler who taps into his experience on the mat to dissect the X's and O's of MMA matchups in a manner that sets him apart from other MMA analysts. He started the MMA handicapping service MMA Knockout Bets in 2018 and has shown a profit every year since.
With more than 1,400 selections tracked by the third-party monitoring service Bet MMA, he has shown a 6 percent return on investment for his followers. Over the past two years, his followers have netted a profit of more than $10,000.
Gombas kicked off the 2022 UFC season in January by informing SportsLine members to back Calvin Kattar (+200) against Giga Chikadze (-240) in a matchup of ranked featherweight contenders in the main event. Kattar dominated wire to wire to give Gombas' followers an easy winner. Anyone who has followed him already has seen massive returns.
Now, with UFC Fight Night: Makhachev vs. Green in sight, Gombas has studied the card from every angle and released his top MMA picks and expert predictions. Those selections are only available at SportsLine.
UFC Fight Night: Makhachev vs. Green preview
Makhachev has long been pegged as a future UFC champion by countless MMA observers and could be in line for his first title shot with another impressive performance Saturday. The 30-year-old Russian fighter's grappling and wrestling have drawn comparisons to former champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, who retired with a 29-0 record in 2020. Nurmagomedov also is a mentor and training partner for Makhachev.
Although Makhachev (21-1) uses a pressure style similar to Nurmagomedov, their end-game strategies differ to some extent. Makhachev hunts submissions and has 10 of them among his 21 victories, along with eight decisions and three knockouts.
Makhachev has proved his mettle by defeating veteran contenders who are known for their punching power and takedown defense. He went 3-0 in 2021 and his last appearance resulted in a first-round submission of Dan Hooker, a former top-five contender who is now No. 8 in the division.
Green (29-12-1), 35, has long been a fan favorite because of his furious pace and resilience. He has gone on a late-career surge that has seen him win five of his last seven, but also once endured a seven-fight stretch in which he notched just one victory.
Green dominated against prospect Nasrat Haqparast two weeks ago and reportedly didn't hesitate to take Saturday's main event on short notice. It will be his first main event appearance. You can only see who to back in this highly anticipated matchup at SportsLine.
UFC Fight Night predictions
We'll share one of Gombas' UFC Fight Night predictions here: He is siding with Priscila Cachoeira (+135) to upset Ji Yeon Kim (-155) in a battle of women's flyweight prospects.
Kim (9-4-2) is primarily known for her power and reach advantage over most opponents. The South Korean fighter has hit a recent slide that has seen her drop three of her past four fights, though the losses came in competitive decisions. She received a Fight of the Night bonus for her showing against Molly McCann last September.
Cachoeira (10-4) is a rugged brawler who has posted a 2-4 record in six UFC outings while regularly battling the top names in the division. She is looking to rebound from a first-round submission loss to Gillian Robertson in December.
"Cachoeira is strong and will walk her opponents down. She struggles a bit with grappling, but Kim is far from a grappler. I think this line is off and I believe Cachoeira will eventually break her opponent," Gombas told SportsLine.
How to make UFC Fight Night selections
Gombas has locked in strong picks for Makhachev vs. Green and other fights on the UFC Fight Night card. He's also backing a fighter who will "break" their opponent for an upset victory. Those picks are only available at SportsLine.
Who wins Makhachev vs. Green? And what other UFC Fight Night picks do you need to see? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed top picks on UFC Fight Night, all from the insider who's up more than $10,000 on MMA picks the past two years, and find out.
UFC Fight Night odds, fight card
Islam Makhachev (-800) vs. Bobby Green (+550)
Misha Cirkunov (-130) vs. Wellington Turman (+110)
Fares Ziam (-130) vs. Terrance McKinney (+110)
Ji Yeon Kim (-155) vs. Priscila Cachoeira (+135)
Ramiz Brahimaj (-350) vs. Micheal Gillmore (+290)
Gregory Rodrigues (-160) vs. Armen Petrosyan (+140)
Josiane Nunes (-210) vs. Ramona Pascual (+180)
Jonathan Martinez (-215) vs. Alejandro Perez (+185)
Arman Tsarukyan (-240) vs. Joel Alvarez (+200)
Carlos Hernandez (-130) vs. Victor Altamirano (+110)
Jinh Yu Frey (-185) vs. Hannah Goldy (+165)
Ignacio Bahamondes (-245) vs. Zhu Rong (+205)
