UFC on ESPN 54 takes place on Saturday at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. This is a strong card that has a ton of exciting fights that should make for good chances to make money. Let’s take a look at a picks' breakdown for each of the main card fights.
Erin Blanchfield vs Manon Fiorot
Blanchfield -192 / Fiorot +160 // Total Rounds: 4.5
Erin Blanchfield is the second-ranked fighter in the women’s flyweight division, while Manon Fiorot is currently ranked third. Fiorot wants to stand and fight, while Blanchfield is a grappler who wants to make the fight dirty. The big advantage here that Blanchfield has is the pace. Fiorot has fought at a slower pace instead in the UFC, while Blanchfield wants to keep the pressure on. In this fight, Blanchfield is going to keep the pace up, and Fiorot is going to get worn down with the pace. She won’t get the finish, but Blanchfield will win the fight. Back Blanchfield by decision.
Vincente Luque vs Joaquin Buckley
Buckley -110 / Luque -110 // Total Rounds: 2.5
Vincente Luque and Joaquin Buckley face off in a fight that could be the most entertaining fight on the card. Buckley knows with a win i this fight, he’s going to be an instant contender and this is the biggest fight in his career. Buckley is at times a bit reckless, but that will help them here, actually. Buckley has the speed advantage in this fight, and he’s going to use that to his advantage. This fight isn’t going to take very long, and Buckley will get the finish. Back Buckley by finish.
Chris Weidman vs Bruno Silva
Silva -285 / Weidman +230 // Total Rounds: 1.5
Chris Weidman at one time was a UFC champion, but those days are far behind him. He has clearly lost a step and in his last fight against Brad Tavares he lost by a decision. Bruno Silva has huge knockout power, and he’s going to have no issue in this fight. Weidman is going to be a sitting duck in this fight, and this one is going to be an ugly loss early. Back Silva to win this fight by knockout.
Nursulton Ruziboev vs Sedriques Dumas
Ruziboev -258 / Dumas +210 // Total Rounds: 1.5
Nursulton Ruziboev is a pretty big favorite against Sedriques Dumas on Saturday night, but Dumas has a ton of value as an underdog. This is a big step-up in competition, but Dumas has fought well heading into this fight, winning two in a row. In his last fight against Abu Azaitar, Dumas was able to win by unanimous decision. This fight at worst feels like a toss up, which means Dumas has all the value. Back Dumas on the money line.
Bill Algeo vs Kyle Nelson
Algeo -230 / Nelson +190 // Total Rounds: 2.5
Kyle Nelson shouldn’t be this big of an underdog, and he has a ton of value here. Each of Nelson’s last two fights were by unanimous decision, and in the last fight he had 82 significant strikes. Nelson is going to put the pressure on here and his striking is going to be the difference as he’s going to get the job done. I wouldn’t bet this fight big, but Nelson has a ton of value as underdogs.
Shane’s Pick Blanchfield by Decision
AUTHOR: Shane Mickle
