The UFC is back in front of a crowd for UFC on ABC 5: Emmett vs. Topuria.
On Saturday, ranked featherweights will clash, as up-and-comer Ilia Topuria will take on Josh Emmett in a crucial fight for both men. While the featherweights are the main event, the UFC’s return to ABC features a very deep card with several notable fighters, as well as some lesser-known athletes that are sure to put on a show. You will not want to miss this card. This is your UFC on ABC 5 Best Bets Guide!
David Onama Point Spread +3.5 (+100)
Let’s kick things off with a prop! David Onama has been an action fighter since he entered the UFC. He will make his fifth walk with the promotion on Saturday, squaring off with Brazillian, Gabriel Santos. Santos is an extremely talented fighter, dropping a tight decision at the hands of Lerone Murphy back in October. He will be looking to put his name in the win column as a UFC athlete.
Before explaining the pick itself, it’s important to clarify what the point spread is. With this pick, Onama cannot lose a decision by more that 3 points. For example, if he were to lose on all three scorecards by a score of 29-28, he would lose by three points, one on each card, and thus the bet would win! In the case of a finish, should it be Onama who finishes the fight, the bet would obviously win, but should Santos finish the fight, the bet would lose. Hopefully that makes sense. Get it? Got it? Good!
This pick boils down to two main considerations. First, Onama has never lost a fight by more than three points in his entire career! That’s both pro and amateur MMA taken into consideration! He is always in the fight, whether it is on short notice against a strong talent as it was against Mason Jones (lost 29-28 x3), or in a fight of the year candidate against a rising fighter (lost a majority decision to Nate Landwehr).
The second consideration boils down to Onama’s ability to stop fights. He has 2 wins in the UFC, both of which were via stoppage, and his power was on display in the Landwehr fight. Seeing that a stoppage is a won bet, the odds definitely feel in Onama’s favor to cash this bet!
Justin Tafa via KO/TKO (-125)
Two straight KO wins in under two minutes. All three losses coming via 1st round KO. Justin Tafa vs. Austen Lane is just a bad matchup for Lane, simply put. Coming off of a knockout win in February against Parker Porter, Tafa enters this fight with confidence, and a willingness to throw leather early on. This spells bad news for Lane, who may be most known for being Greg Hardy’s ticket to the UFC, losing that bout via brutal knockout.
Tafa has struggled with consistency issues in the past, which may make this pick a little closer than most anticipate, but building off of two wins, especially the Porter win, will have his confidence brimming as he takes a step down in competition. I am confident in predicting that this fight will end via knockout, and the high-level experience Tafa posseses is what gives him the edge over Lane. You can expect these two to throw heat for as long as it lasts, and I expect Tafa to make it three straight stoppage wins.
Tabatha Ricci ML (-135)
This feels like a stepping stone for Tabatha Ricci. Don’t get me wrong, I have the utmost respect for Gillian Robertson. She is used to being underestimated time and time again, most recently against Piera Rodriguez in April. Now, that proved to be a mistake, as she dominated Rodriguez, leading to a second round submission. Ricci will be a future contender at 115 pounds, however. She showed aggressiveness in the octagon that has impressed fans and analysts alike, scoring an extremely impressive submission over former title challenger Jessica Penne in March.
Ricci will have the advantage on the feet, but Robertson’s ground game is extremely dangerous. It will be interesting to see how Ricci naviagates the fight, as a result of Robertson’s submission abilities. Ricci possesses a clear athleticism advantage, and is a strong grappler in her own right, but how much will we see her attempt to grapple with a how dangerous ‘The Savage’ is?
Ultimately, I lean on the athleticism in what figures to be tight everywhere else. Ricci has hit a groove since dropping to strawweight, and I expect that to continue this weekend, grinding out a close decision over the ever-dangerous Gillian Robertson.
What do you make of our UFC on ABC 5: Emmett vs. Topuria best bets guide? Let us know in the comments!
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
