This article is part of our UFC Picks series.
The UFC heads to Sydney, Australia on Saturday, Sept. 9 (Sunday, Sept. 10 in Australia) for UFC 293. In the main event, Israel Adesanya looks to defend his middleweight title against Sean Strickland.
Below, I'll share my favorite play, an underdog, a prop and a two-fighter parlay. All odds are via the DraftKings Sportsbook and are accurate as of the post date of this article.
Weight Class: Welterweight
Kevin Jousset (8-2) vs. Kiefer Crosbie (10-3)
Opening up UFC 293 is a welterweight fight between two UFC newcomers, and I like Kevin Jousset, who is a teammate of Israel Adesanya, to get the win.
Jousset is a solid kickboxer who's riding a three-fight win streak, while Crosbie is a Bellator veteran who went 4-3 under their banner. The Irishman just moved up to welterweight, and at lightweight, he had back-to-back stoppage losses before leaving the promotion.
I expect this to be a kickboxing fight, as both combatants are at their best when striking. On the feet, Jousset is a much better striker and will also be bigger, as Crosbie really isn't a welterweight.
When standing, Jousset will be too technical for Crosbie and will effectively be able to pick him apart to win a decision on the card's opening fight.
UFC 293 Best Bet: Kevin Jousset (-155)
Weight Class: Lightweight
John Makdessi (18-8) vs. Jamie Mullarkey (16-6)
There aren't many underdogs that I like at UFC 293, but John Makdessi is one I have to take, as the odds are off in my opinion.
Mullarkey is coming off a TKO loss to Muhammadjon Naimov in a fight he was a -450 favorite, which shows his chin is a bit of a concern. Despite losing as a big favorite, he's now a -265 favorite against Makdessi.
Makdessi hasn't fought in a year, but he has always had long layoffs, as he usually only fights once a year.
On the feet, the Canadian is the more technical striker, but when I talked to him before this fight, he said he plans to be the more aggressive striker, as he sees holes in Mullarkey's game.
To me, Mullarkey should only be a -150 to -160 favorite, so at +215 on Makdessi, I have to take a shot. This should be a striking fight, and if it goes the distance it will be close, so I'll take my chance on the +215 underdog.
UFC 293 Best Bet: John Makdessi (+215)
Weight Class: Heavyweight
Alexander Volkov (36-10) vs. Tai Tuivasa (15-5)
The co-main event of UFC 293 should be an exciting heavyweight bout, as Alexander Volkov takes on Tai Tuivasa. I'm backing Volkov to get the win and do so by decision, which isn't what many expect will happen.
Tuivasa has lost two straight fights by knockout, as he lost to Ciryl Gane and Sergei Pavlovich. He has now taken off 10 months, so I expect his chin to be much better. Furthermore, Volkov is not known for his power and is a heavyweight that has proven he can go the distance, even in five-round fights.
On the feet, Volkov uses his height and range to piece up opponents and not get hit. I think this fight could look similar to the Greg Hardy fight for the Russian that went the distance -- a scrap in which Volkov used his jab to just control the distance and win rounds. He effectively came away with a decision in what was not the most entertaining fight, and I see a similar outcome here.
UFC 293 Best Bet: Alexander Volkov by decision (+390)
Weight Class: Lightweight & Light heavyweight
Nasrat Haqparast (14-5) vs. Landon Quinones (7-1-1)
Carlos Ulberg (8-1) vs. Da Woon Jung (15-4-1)
For my parlay at UFC 293, I'm backing Nasrat Haqparast and Carlos Ulberg to get their hands raised.
Haqparast was supposed to fight last week in Paris but was moved a week and will now fight UFC newcomer Landon Quinones, who competed in the most recent season of TUF. On the show, Quinones lost his fight in the first round to Jason Knight.
On the feet, Haqparast is a volume striker who can overwhelm people with his strikes, and can also mix in the wrestling if need be. However, I expect him to out-strike Quinones for all three rounds and win a clear-cut decision.
In the other leg, I'm backing Carlos Ulberg to beat Da Woon Jung, and I also expect him to likely do it by first-round KO.
Ulberg is a phenomenal striker who now gets to fight another striker in Jung. The latter has lost two in a row and was knocked out by Dustin Jacoby in the first round to begin the losing skid.
On the feet, Ulberg will be too technical and too hard to hit for Jung, and he should be able to break him down and eventually find the stoppage. Ulberg has great takedown defense and is super active on the feet, which will present problems to Jung.
UFC 293 Best Bet: Nasrat Haqparast & Carlos Ulberg parlay (-152)
UFC 293 Best Bets
Here is a recap of this weekend's UFC 293 best bets:
- Kevin Jousset (-155)
- John Makdessi (+215)
- Alexander Volkov wins by decision (+390)
- Nasrat Haqparast & Carlos Ulberg parlay (-152)
For up-to-date information on the latest odds and props from multiple sportsbooks, check out the UFC odds page on RotoWire.
If you're in Ohio where legal betting just launched, check out Ohio sports betting promos. Sports betting is also officially live in the state of Massachusetts. To get the most bang for your buck when selecting a sportsbook as a new customer, check out these Massachusetts Sports Betting Promos.
If you prefer to deposit at a sportsbook via PayPal, RotoWire has an up-to-date list of all the top-rated PayPal betting sites in one place. We also list all major sportsbooks accepting credit card.
