UFC Oklahoma City predictions: Full fight card picks, best bets Saturday

It’s been a roaring summer in mixed martial arts, and there’s another strong card on tap this weekend.After a disappointing main event at UFC 329, at which Conor McGregor lost due to a knee injury he sustained in the opening minute of the first round, we head to Oklahoma City with two former champions facing off.Of the 12 scheduled fights, 10 have props available, and six of those fights are projected to end inside the distance.The entire card begins at 5 p.m.ET and will stream on Paramount+.Here are my UFC Fight Night Oklahoma City predictions:It’s an excellent main event this weekend in the middleweight division as Du Plessis takes on Usman in Du Plessis’ first fight since he lost his championship at this weight.Du Plessis is a cerebral fighter in this division who dissects opponents’ game plans and excels at beating them with a mix of volume striking and grappling.Usman is not typically a middleweight, traditionally fighting down at welterweight, where he was the reigning champion from 2019-22.He’s a legend, but Du Plessis is the guy whom I trust the most to snag a victory here.Usman has bad knees.

I suspect Du Plessis will chop down the 39-year-old’s legs and could get a late KO here as a result.Even if it goes the distance, Du Plessis should be the clear side to bet on, as Usman, an excellent wrestler, will be too small to grapple effectively.Prediction: Du Plessis wins and Over 4.5 minutes (-160, DraftKings).At 42 years old, Cannonier returns for the first time since August as a massive underdog.Duncan, 30, is in his prime at this point in his career and has won four straight, including wins over Roman Dolidze and Marco Tulio.It’s a tough spot for Cannonier, as he was smashed on the feet by Michael “Venom” Page last time out and has looked noncompetitive against top-tier competition in recent years.I’m taking the young gun to leapfrog the grizzled vet here, as Cannonier is on the wrong side of the age curve and Duncan should be coming i...