UFC Fight Night: Gane vs. Tuivasa Picks, Predictions, and Odds
For the first time ever, the UFC will come to France for UFC Fight Night: Gane vs. Tuivasa. France didn’t legalize MMA until 2020, and Dana White has been looking for the right event to launch the UFC in Paris. The crowd is expected to be electric as French heavyweight Ciryl Gane takes on Tai Tuivasa in the main event.
UFC Fight Night: Gane vs. Tuivasa will be held on Saturday, September 3, 2022, at the Accor Arena in Paris, France. The prelims will get underway at 12 p.m. ET with the main card starting at 3 p.m. ET. All of the action will be on ESPN+ since college football has taken over the on-air networks.
Ciryl Gane vs. Tai Tuivasa Picks
The oddsmakers expect Ciryl Gane to have little trouble with Tai Tuivasa in the main event this weekend. Gane is a huge favorite by the UFC betting odds, as his only previous loss was against UFC Heavyweight Championship title holder Francis Ngannou. He won the interim UFC Heavyweight Championship with a third-round knockout of Derrick Lewis last year at UFC 265, and he is the only heavyweight that currently has the same size and explosiveness as Ngannou.
This is a huge fight for Tai Tuivasa, as a win would likely set up a title fight sometime next year. Tuivasa was considered to have topped out after losing three straight fights in a 10-month period shortly before COVID, but he has been dominant over the last two years. We have seen Tuivasa win five straight fights, and all of those wins have come by knockout in the first or second round. Additionally, Tuivasa earned Performance of the Night bonuses in his last three bouts.
In his professional career, Tuivasa has knocked out his opponent in 13 of his 14 wins. He doesn’t have much of a ground game and lacks stamina, so that points to the ‘Under’ being the pick. Gane is a much more well-rounded fighter and shouldn’t have much trouble controlling the action, making it much wiser to bet on Gane to finish the fight then to simply bet him to win.
To Win Fight: Ciryl Gane to Win by Finish (-150)
Total Rounds: Under 2.5 (-120)
Robert Whittaker vs. Marvin Vettori Picks
The top two middleweights in the UFC not named Israel Adesanya will square off in the co-main event. Robert Whittaker previously held the UFC Middleweight Championship and looked set to dominate the division for a while until Adesanya emerged as arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC. Whittaker has lost both of his title fights to Adesanya, so he knows he has an uphill battle to get a third title shot.
Mavin Vettori has also lost to Adesanya twice, but he has defeated everyone else he has faced over the last four years. Vettori doesn’t have a lot of power, and 10 of his last 11 fights have gone to the judges’ scorecards, so the ‘Over’ has to be the choice despite the juice. Whittaker has proven himself to be the more capable fighter, and he is the favorite for a reason.
To Win Fight: Robert Whittaker (-220)
Total Rounds: Over 2.5 (-300)
John Makdessi vs. Nasrat Haqparast Picks
Promotion veteran John Makdessi is 11-7 since joining the UFC in December 2010. He has never challenged for a title, and he has had some trouble making weight over his career, but he is an experienced fighter that has proven he can beat other middle-of-the-pack fighters like Nasrat Haqparast in his career.
Haqparast is just 5-4 since moving to the UFC five years ago. He earned bonuses for his wins over Thibault Gouti and Joaquim Silva, but he has lost two consecutive fights.
Neither one of these fighters has anything resembling a ground game as all of their wins have been by either decision or knockout. That makes Makdeesi a tempting bet as an underdog in a three-round bout.
To Win Fight: John Makdeesi (+180)
Total Rounds: Over 2.5 (-225)
