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Brett Okamoto
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Brett Okamoto
espn staff writer
- Brett Okamoto has reported on mixed martial arts and boxing for ESPN since 2010. He has covered all the biggest events in combat sports during that time, including in-depth interviews and features with names like Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Georges St-Pierre. He was also the producer of the 30 for 30 film “Chuck & Tito”, which looked at the careers and rivalry of Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. He lives in Las Vegas, and is an avid, below-average golfer in his spare time.
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ian parker
On one of the hottest streaks in the UFC, Reinier De Ridder (21-2) returns to action for the fourth time this year on Saturday at UFC Fight Night in Vancouver, British Columbia (7 p.m. ET on ESPN+, prelims at 4 p.m.). their rivals, Brendan Allen (25-7), is stepping down on short notice. Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez Withdrew name last month due to injury.
De Ridder, ESPN’s sixth-ranked middleweight, is undefeated in his four-fight UFC stint and Allen, ESPN’s No. 10, is also coming off a win. He won via unanimous decision over the veteran Marvin Vettori In July.
ESPN MMA analysts Deen Thomas and Anthony Smith provide their main event predictions, and ESPN betting expert Ian Parker adds insight on the value bets available on the fight card.
middleweight main event
To win the fight, Allen has to be able to defeat his opponent. He is generally the better wrestler in every fight he wins. Here, I think De Ridder is probably the better wrestler. De Ridder should be able to reverse any position held by Allen and come out on top. I’m calling De Ridder by decision, but I wouldn’t be surprised if De Ridder gets a submission. — Deen Thomas
Alan is a better striker than De Ridder and I think he is a better wrestler. I don’t think De Ridder will be able to beat him, so the grappling should be controlled more by Allen. If I’m wrong on this, I think it would be because Allen sometimes fades at a fast pace. We’ve seen him fall short in the later rounds when he’s pushed too hard, but I think he has the tools to win this match. –Anthony Smith
betting analysis
Odds are accurate as of October 16. For the latest odds, visit ESPN BET.
Parker: De Ridder to win (-210). If Allen is able to pull off an upset, he could put himself in the middleweight title picture in 2026. However, I believe a five-round fight favors De Ridder over Allen. Five rounds with De Ridder robert whittaker Was able to set the pace in the final round to take further wins in July. Unless Allen caught De Ridder in Round 1, his gas tank would be depleted as the fight continued, giving De Ridder a chance to pick up the victory.
Parker’s best bets on the rest of the card
0:50
Mike Malott gets tremendous finish in front of hometown crowd
Mike Mallott won an important bout against Adam Fugit in front of his fellow Canadian fans.
Welterweight: kevin holland versus mike mallott
More than 1.5 rounds: This should be an incredibly close fight between two accomplished fighters. coming off a knockout defeat Daniel Rodriguez In July, I expect Fan-favorite Holland to be more defense-minded and less recklessly aggressive to avoid being tagged by Malott, who is on a two-fight winning streak. Malott has also been using his wrestling and ground game lately, which will come in handy here. I think Malott will have success with takedowns and keep Holland on his back for most of the fight. If the finish does happen, I think it will come late in the fight, so take more than 1.5 rounds.
Men’s Bantamweight: Aiman Zahabi versus marlon vera
Zahabi’s win (-135): coming out of his victory jose aldo In Montreal in May, Zahabi will look to add another veteran and former title challenger to his resume. Both Zahabi and Vera are extremely durable, but the difference in their battles will be Zahabi’s output and Vera’s tendency to start slower. Zahabi also has the ability to drop Vera and keep her there if she is not having success. Apart from all this, Vera has suffered a lot in her 15-year professional career. More than likely, this fight will be a long one and Zahabi will win by decision.
Women’s flyweight: manon fiorot versus Jasmine Jasudavicius
Manon wins by decision: In his first fight since losing his title match to Valentina Shevchenko In May, Fiorot will face rising freshman Jasdavicius in Fiorot’s home country of Canada. This should be an interesting fight between two talented fighters. Fiorot is a 2-to-1 favorite, and I guess that makes sense. On the feet, he is the better striker, and unless Jasdavicius can get Fiorot to the ground, I expect Fiorot to win the three-round kickboxing fight by decision.
