UFC Fight Night: Dos Anjos vs. Fiziev Picks, Predictions, Odds
Two of the top lightweights in the UFC will headline this week’s card when former UFC Lightweight Champion Rafael dos Anjos takes on 10thranked Rafael Fiziev on Saturday night. Dos Anjos was not successful at welterweight and returned to lightweight in late 2020, and he is out to claim the title in this division once again. He has a long way to go though, as dos Anjos is currently an underdog by the UFC betting odds to Fiziev.
UFC Fight Night: Dos Anjos vs. Fiziev will take place at UFC APEX outside of Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday, July 9, 2022. The prelims will take place at 6 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ESPN and ESPN+, while the main card will kick off at 9 p.m. ET on the same channels.
Rafael dos Anjos vs. Rafael Fiziev Picks
Only a handful of fighters have been in the UFC longer than Rafael dos Anjos. He made his promotion debut in November 2008 and established himself as a lightweight to be reckoned with after two early losses. Dos Anjos took down Anthony Pettis to win the UFC Lightweight Championship at UFC 185, and he defended the title with a first-round TKO of Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone before being knocked out by Eddie Alvarez in his second title defense.
Dos Anjos moved up to welterweight after losing to Tony Ferguson in his next fight, and he won his first three matches in that division to set up a title shot with Colby Covington. Unfortunately, he lost to Covington and then lost three of his next four fights before making the move back to lightweight in November 2020. He has not been impressive since dropping down a class, settling for a split decision win over Paul Felder and beating Renato Moicano with Moicano fighting on four days of notice.
Meanwhile, Rafael Fiziev is an up and comer. Fiziev lost his UFC debut three years ago, but he has since won five straight fights in the promotion. He has won Fight of the Night or Performance of the Night bonuses in four straight fights, and he was much more convincing in his win over Moicano.
Fiziev and dos Anjos were supposed to square off in February, but Fiziev had to back out of the fight after contracting COVID. He was a favorite coming into that fight, and he is an even bigger favorite now after dos Anjos was unable to finish Moicano. Dos Anjos is at the tail end of his career, and Fiziev can punish him.
To Win Fight: Rafael Fiziev (-220)
Total Rounds: Under 4.5 (+225)
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Said Nurmagomedov vs. Douglas Silva de Andrade Picks
Although Said Nurmagomedov is not related to the great Khabib, he is making a name for himself in the UFC. Nurmagomedov has earned first-round finishes in his last three wins, and he has raised his record to 15-2. He will likely be a ranked bantamweight if he defeats Douglas Silva de Andrade this weekend, and the oddsmakers like his chances.
Douglas Silva de Andrade has been a middling fighter since joining the UFC. He was 22-0 before joining the promotion in early 2014, but he is just 6-4 over the last eight years. Nurmagomedov has the potential to finish Silva inside of two rounds on Saturday.
To Win Fight: Said Nurmagomedov (-275)
Total Rounds: Under 2.5 (-138)
Cynthia Calvillo vs. Nina Nunes Picks
It’s been a rough last couple years for Cynthia Calvillo. She has lost her last three fights, and she was knocked out in her last two defeats. That has led to Calvillo dropping out of the top ten in the UFC Women’s Flyweight Rankings. Her best years are probably behind her at this point, but she is more polished than Nina Nunes.
Nunes is just 10-7 in her professional MMA career. Her best wins came against Angela Hill and Claudia Gadelha, but she has not won a match since December 2018 after putting her career on hold to start a family with fellow fighter Amanda Nunes. She should probably be more of an underdog as she is older than Calvillo and doesn’t have the same pedigree.
To Win Fight: Cynthia Calvillo (-150)
Total Rounds: Over 2.5 (-225)
