UFC Fight Night: Smith vs Teixeira betting predictions

UFC Fight Night betting preview

Following the roaring success of UFC 249, the UFC Fight Night franchise returns this week with a cracking card that offers a little something for everyone.

This Thursday (AEST), the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, will fit in 22 fighters across five weight divisions, with 10 of those making up the main card.

You can find the latest UFC betting odds and free tips for the five fights on the main card below.

Anthony Smith vs Glover Teixeira

The light heavyweight division should not be underestimated in terms of entertainment value, especially when you see what Anthony Smith and Glover Teixeira are capable of.

Both fighters have over 30 victories each and sit inside the top 10 in the divisional rankings, with Smith (31-14) in fourth place and Teixeira (30-7) in eighth.

The money leans in favour of Smith to win via knockout, but we think Teixeira can use his extra weight to exploit his opponent’s weakness in the clinches and win via submission.

Ben Rothwell vs Ovince Saint Preux

The penultimate fight on the card is a battle between two giants who are seeking redemption.

Sometimes it only takes one loss to drain your confidence, so you can only imagine how Ben Rothwell feels after losing three of his last four bouts.

Coming into the fight as the favourite is Ovince Saint Preux, an expert grappler who also possesses a powerful punch.

We prefer the fitter and slimmer body of Saint Preux over the old-school bulk of Rothwell.

Alexander Hernandez vs Drew Dober

Sitting 15th in the lightweight division with the opportunity to jump is Alexander Hernandez, who has made an impressive 11-2 start to his UFC career.

The young star’s next challenge is the experienced Drew Dober, who has both the form and the odds on his side.

Hernandez is an excellent technical fighter who has won most of his matches by going the distance, while Dober has won his last two fights via KO/TKO.

We believe the younger fighter has more to prove here and will take the chance to climb in the rankings.

Ricky Simon vs Ray Borg

The bantamweight division has fallen behind the others in recent times, but this battle between two up-and-coming athletes could reignite the competition.

Ricky Simon utilises a very defensive mindset, but that is not a bad thing against a submission expert such as Ray Borg.

From the 13 fights Borg has won, six have been submission and six have been decision. That suggests a lack of punching power, which could cost him in this bout.

Simon is the man to back in this fight as he has more avenues to victory and needs to break his losing streak.

Karl Roberson vs Marvin Vettori

It is rare to find an Italian fighter in the octagon, but Marvin ‘The Italian Dream’ Vettori will fly the verde, bianco, rosso in Florida this Thursday.

Karl Roberson is just starting out his UFC career and boasts a 9-2 record, with his only losses coming to Cezar Ferreira and Glover Teixeira.

Vettori recently went down to the current middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya, but the split decision showed this guy can match it with the best of them.

We are taking the Italian-born Vettori as he has more wins under his belt and is very keen to use grappling.