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Mixed martial arts UFC 282 Picks: The Baddy Continues Winning Streak
UFC 282 Picks: Saturday, December 10th
With my UFC 282 Best Bet for the main event out of the way, we move on to the best value selections for this Saturday Night. I’ve got 2 picks ready for the co-main event of Paddy Pimblett vs Jared Gordon, as well as the bout between Bryce Mitchell and Illia Topuria.
In this article:
Paddy Pimblett vs Jared Gordon Preview & Pick
Paddy ‘The Baddy’ Pimblett has quickly risen through the UFC ranks in the past year and now finds himself in the co-main event of UFC 282. He made his debut in September 2021 with a win over Luigi Vandermini and got the job done via TKO. He has since won 2 more fights against Rodrigo Vargas and Jordan Leavitt, both via submission. Paddy is known as a solid striker with a lot of power for the division, but as someone who can also take you down to the mat (td AVG 1.88) and get the finish with 9 submission wins under his belt.
The more experienced Jared Gordon is making his 12h appearance under the UFC banner this Saturday and holds an MMA record of 19 wins and 5 losses. He has won 4 of his last 5 fights and is coming off a decision win over Leonardo Santos. That said, he does have 4 KO/TKO losses to his record, although one was a doctor’s stoppage. Most of his wins have come via decision, and although he does have 6 KO/TKO wins as well, 5 of them have come before coming to the UFC, and the last one was more than 5 years ago.
Despite being the more experienced fighter, I don’t see any way in which he can get the job done. He isn’t going to KO him, a submission is unlikely due to Paddy’s strength and BJJ skills and a decision is also unlikely, given the Scouse’s aggressiveness and endurance. On the contrary, I expect Paddy to use his striking power to get Gordon on the mat, followed by another rear-naked choke win.
- Selection: Pimblett to Win via KO/TKO/DQ or Submission
- Best odds: 1.90
- Stakes: 4/10
More Paddy Pimblett vs Jared Gordon Tips
Bryce Mitchell vs Illia Topuria Preview & Pick
The second fight on our plate this weekend will be the encounter between Bryce Mitchell and Illia Topura. Two young dogs in the Featherweight division with no losses under their belt, but there’s a first time for everything. Bryce Mitchell is making his 16th MMA appearance, after connecting 3 straight decision victories in a row. Mitchell is known as a very adept grappler who uses his 3.40 takedown average to get opponents on the mat and keep them down. He doesn’t strike a lot, landing 2.28 strikes per minute whilst absorbing 1.39.
Meanwhile, Illia Topuria, the 25-year old prospect is hoping to get his 13th straight win this weekend, having finished 4 of his last 5 fights via KO. Topuria is a beast when it comes to striking and his record shows it, but he is also more than capable of holding his own on the ground. He is yet to be taken down in the UFC, and even on the mat he can cause some real damage. In fact, 7 of his 8 wins before joining the UFC were by submission. He has the tools to keep Mitchell from taking him down, and even then he has a nice arsenal of moves to get his own submissions.
- Selection: Topuria to Win
- Best Odds: 1.72 (Pinnacle)
- Stakes: 5/10
Odds as of 3:00 pm December 9th, 2022. Odds may now differ.
More Bryce Mitchell vs Illia Topuria Tips
