Arman Tsarukyan and Mateusz Gamrot both say they have something to prove when they collide Saturday in the main event of UFC Fight Night: Tsarukyan vs. Gamrot. The battle of rising lightweight contenders will close the curtain on the main UFC fight card (10 p.m. ET) from the Apex facility in Las Vegas. Although the top-10 rankings at lightweight are loaded with star power including the likes of Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier, both Tsarukyan and Gamrot told the media this week they believe they deserve to be in the same company as their better-known counterparts, and an impressive win Saturday will help that cause.
Caesars Sportsbook lists Tsarukyan as a -250 favorite (risk $250 to win $100), while Gamrot comes back at +210 in the latest UFC Fight Night: Tsarukyan vs. Gamrot odds. In the co-main event, welterweight contenders take the cage when Shavkat Rakhmonov (-410) meets Neil Magny (+330). Before locking in any UFC Fight Night: Tsarukyan vs. Gamrot picks, make sure you check out the MMA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine expert Andrew Gombas.
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.
Two weeks ago at UFC 275, Gombas swept the board with his main-card picks and the five-fight sweep included telling SportsLine members to back Jake Matthews (+125) against Andre Fialho (-145) in a matchup of welterweight prospects. Matthews dominated from the outset and scored a second-round stoppage to provide Gombas' backers with another easy winner. Anyone who has followed Gombas already has seen massive returns.
Now, with UFC Fight Night: Tsarukyan vs. Gamrot (see tickets at StubHub) in sight, Gombas has studied the card from every angle and released his top MMA picks. Those picks are only available at SportsLine.
UFC Fight Night: Tsarukyan vs. Gamrot preview, guide
The winner of Saturday's main event will get a leg up toward consideration for a title shot in a division that is loaded with contenders. The title is now officially vacant after sitting champion Charles Oliveira was stripped of the belt for missing weight by a half pound ahead of his defense against Justin Gaethje at UFC 274 in May. Oliveira won the fight but now must beat another opponent to reclaim the title, and he currently does not have a fight booked.
A potential rematch with No. 2-ranked Dustin Poirier is a possibility and there is a groundswell of fan support for a title match against No. 4-ranked Islam Makhachev. Other ranked contenders such as Beneil Dariush and Conor McGregor, who have been inactive while tending to injuries, also could be considered for the next title fight.
Thus, neither Tsarukyan nor Gamrot can afford to give up ground in the rankings, and the only way to improve their profiles now is by fighting each other.
Tsarukyan (18-2) is a versatile talent who has five submissions and seven knockouts to his credit. The 25-year-old Armenian fighter has finished his last two opponents inside of two rounds, including a knockout of Joel Alvarez in February.
Gamrot (20-1-1), 31, has similarly shown a lethal mix of stand-up power and grappling, as evidenced by his seven knockouts and five submissions among his 20 professional MMA victories. The Polish fighter has earned performance bonuses in three of his four UFC outings and is coming off a second-round stoppage of Carlos Diego Ferreira in December. You can only see who to back at UFC Fight Night here.
UFC Fight Night predictions
We'll share one of Gombas' UFC Fight Night selections here: He is backing Thiago Moises (-240) to get the best of Christos Giagos (+200) in a matchup of lightweight prospects on the main card.
Moises (15-6) is a versatile fighter who has spent some time in the top-15 rankings since joining the UFC in 2018. Although he is just 4-4 in eight UFC appearances, the 27-year-old Brazilian has faced nothing but top-shelf opponents since donning the UFC uniform. For example, his debut with the promotion came against Beneil Dariush, who won the fight to start a seven-fight win streak that now has him ranked No. 6 in the division.
Giagos (19-9), 32, has similarly faced top-tier opponents from the outset of his UFC tenure while compiling a 4-3 record in seven appearances. The Californian's last outing resulted in a first-round stoppage loss to Tsarukyan, who is the favorite in Saturday's main event.
"Giagos goes for it with everything he's got, which leaves him open to being hit. I believe Moises is the more technical fighter and envision him getting it done," Gombas told SportsLine.
How to make UFC Fight Night picks
Gombas also has strong picks for Tsarukyan vs. Gamrot and other fights on the UFC Fight Night card. He's also backing a fighter who "is a prolific finisher" to cruise to a dominant victory. Those UFC picks are only available at SportsLine.
Who wins Tsarukyan vs. Gamrot? And what other 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
Arman Tsarukyan (-250) vs. Mateusz Gamrot (+210)
Shavkat Rakhmonov (-410) vs. Neil Magny (+330)
JP Buys (-115) vs. Cody Durden (-105)
Thiago Moises (-240) vs. Christos Giagos (+200)
Mario Bautista (-155) vs. Brian Kelleher (+135)
Jinh Yu Frey (-250) vs. Vanessa Demopoulos (+210)
Carlos Ulberg (-125) vs. Tafon Nchuwki (+105)
Sergey Morozov (-135) vs. Raulian Paiva (+115)
TJ Brown (-200) vs. Shayilan Nuerdanbieke (+175)
Josh Parisian (-110) vs. Alan Baudot (-110)
Umar Nurmagomedov (-800) vs. Nate Maness (+550)
Chris Curtis (-150) vs. Rodolfo Vieira (+130)
