UFC is in Chicago on Saturday and the Middleweight title is one the line, even though only one man is eligible to win it. Robert Whittaker and Yoel Romero were going to finally take the “interim” tag off of the belt, but Romero missed weight for a second consecutive fight.
UFC 225 Odds
Robert Whittaker vs. Yoel Romero
Whittaker (-230) favored over Romero (+225). Whittaker is 4-1 in his career as a favorite, while Romero is 6-0 in his career as an underdog.
Rafael dos Anjos vs. Colby Covington
Covington (-120) is a slight favorite over Dos Anjos (+110). Dos Anjos hasn’t been an underdog in a fight since 2015, when he won a unanimous decision over Anthony Pettis as a +395 underdog.
Holly Holm vs. Megan Anderson
Holm is favored (-145) over Anderson (+135), who is making her UFC debut. Holm is 1-4 in her last five fights, the only losses on her 11-4 career record.
UFC 225 Predictions
Romero missed weight by .2 pounds on Friday, and a win over Whittaker would throw the belt back into chaos. But for all of Romero’s success in UFC- he’s 9-1 since UFC’s merger with Strikeforce- his only loss is to Whittaker. The man they call “The Reaper” has taken out several of the best in the sport in his division, and has won eight straight fights entering UFC 225. This fight was scheduled for last year, but Whittaker suffered a nasty staph infection that kept him sidelined for about a year. There’s a concern over rust, but if Whittaker can survive the initial salvo from Romero, he should be able to settle in and dominate the 41-year old.
Colby Covington has won five straight fights, and has covered in all of them, but was only a -108 favorite in his most recent victory in Brazil over Demian Maia. If you’re cool with rooting for someone that’s a heel on a level WWE wishes they had, Covington is a good bet. He’s got a relentless pace to his wrestling style, something that could give RDA some problems. However, if the southpaws stay standing, Dos Anjos has the superior punching power to knock out the guy that actively tweets Star Wars and Avengers spoilers.
There’s not much to work with in the 145 pound Women’s division, and that’s why Holly Holm is being trotted out for another Pay Per View. Holm is the name draw, but the real story of the fight is debutant Anderson. The tatted-up 28-year old has range and power, exemplified by her four-fight knockout streak heading into tonight. That could play slightly into the counterpuncher that is Holm, but we haven’t seen the same energy and pop from Holm since her stunning knockout of Ronda Rousey.
Predictions: Whittaker, Covington, Anderson