UFC Mexico odds, predictions: Emmett vs. Vallejos full picks for prelims, main card
Back to the warehouse we go as UFC Fight Night recovers after a wild card last weekend at UFC 326.This weekend’s action is headlined by Josh Emmett vs.
Kevin Vallejos, but there are loads of interesting fights on this card from top to bottom.Eight of the 14 fights are projected to end inside distance on Saturday as we look to find some betting value further down the card.Forty-one-year-old Emmett faces off against a young, up-and-coming star in the featherweight division for this main event five-rounder.Vallejos is a phenomenal fighter with technical striking and solid wrestling chops.The 24-year-old faces off against perhaps the most powerful featherweight we’ve ever seen, as Emmett has one-punch knockout power that can take opponents apart at the seams if he’s able to land.I would have loved to see this fight if Emmett were five years younger, but he’s just so old now.The only real chance that Emmett has in this fight is getting a flash knockout and “fraud checking” a budding featherweight contender.I don’t see that happening here.
Emmett is on the downside of his career and has lost four of his last five fights.To be fair, a lot of those losses came against elite-level contenders, and Emmett is the only fighter who has survived 25 minutes with champion Ilia Topuria.Still, that was 2.5 years ago.Emmett has lost a step even from that performance.I’ll give him some credit and say that he will be competitive for two rounds, but eventually his cardio will fail him, just given the age disparity and damage accumulation for Emmett.
Target Vallejos here to win in over 2.5 rounds, covering a back-half finish decision win.PREDICTION: Vallejos wins in over 2.5 rounds (-120, DraftKings)An interesting strawweight fight between two potential contenders, as Robertson faces off against Lemos this weekend.Both fighters ranked in the top 10 in Fight Matrix and are rated No.
5 and No.6 in The Post’s World MMA Rankings.Robertson is one fighter that I’ve been...