Fill Up With Fili: Wild Fighters Headlines Prelims
UFC 303 Prelims
Andre Fili is one of the more wild fighters in the UFC, and he looks to handle Cub Swanson at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday.
The UFC 303 prelims feature four fights: Pyfer vs. Barriault, Jourdain vs. Silva, and Talbott vs. Ghemmouri.
It’s one of the biggest UFC events this year, and we’re expecting some explosive fights on the prelim card.
UFC 303
Day/Time:
Location: T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada
Streaming: ESPN+
Age a Factor in Fili Fight
Fili fights 40-year-old Cub Swanson, who is still a good fighter, but we’re picking Fili to win in fine style.
The 34-year-old is 23-11 following a knockout loss to Dan Ige, but that’s what you get when you follow Fili consistently.
He’s a dynamic fighter, who puts everything on the line, and we’re happy to back him despite those issues.
He looked much better when knocking out Lucas Almeida in the first round at UFC 296, and the -250 favorite is good enough to beat an ageing Swanson.
Swanson is having his first 2024 fight following a win over Hakeem Dawodu in August. That was a solid win, but he was behind on significant strikes, so it was a controversial victory.
We can’t see him having too many more upcoming UFC fights, and Fili could expose him at UFC 303.
Include the -250 in your UFC parlays.
“fatti non foste a viver come bruti”. Andre Fili è d’accordo. Per la serie grandi pensatori delle MMA. https://t.co/qJHIlxpMwE
— Alex Dandi (@alexdandi) June 27, 2024
Barriault Coming With an Assault
Despite being the +220 underdog with UFC 303 prelims, we’re backing Marc-Andre Barriault to beat Joe Pyfer.
We believe in the 34-year-old Canadian, who was defeated by Chris Curtis at UFC 297, but that was a tough fight. He believed he won the fight against the 31-11 fighter.
“If there’s something that I’ve learned throughout my career, it’s that I don’t let a result define myself,” Barriault said.
“I thought that I’d done enough to win the fight, even if the fight was very close. But still, move on, go back to the drawing board, work with my team, and just wait for the next call. And here I am.”
Fighting Pyfer should be easier, and our UFC predictions love the price of +220, which is much better than we expected.
Barriault looked better when defeated Eryk Anders in 2023, and he also knocked out Julian Marquez at UFC 285, so he’s used to fighting on the big PPV events.
We’re not doubting that Pyfer isn’t a tough opponent. He’s 12-3, and rising through the division, but he could get a reality check in Las Vegas.
Nothing Separating Jourdain/Silva
The sportsbook can’t split Jourdain vs Silva, and finding too many differences is tough.
They are near identical in height and reach, but Jourdain has the experience edge with 23 fights compared to Silva’s 14.
That could be the ultimate difference with the UFC 303 prelims, and we’e happy to include Jourdain at -115.
He was beaten by Sean Woodson at UFC 297, but Woodson is one of the more unique fighters, so we’re not surprised by the loss.
He looked much better when submitting Ricardo Ramos, which followed a tough victory against Kon Gracie.
Silva comes off a KO win over Westin Wilson at Fight Night level, and his lack of experience on the big stage could be a factor.
Include Jourdain at the value price of -115.
Guerrier ⚔ ou pirate 🏴☠️? Voici un 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘢 𝘬𝘪𝘤𝘬 signé Jourdain!
Ne manquez pas ⚜🇨🇦 @JourdainAir dans l’Octogone ce weekend à l’#UFC303!
[ En direct sur @TVASports et @Sportsnet | SAMEDI | Combats préliminaires 20:00 HE ] pic.twitter.com/s15pLs1gAI— UFC Québec (@UFCQuebec) June 27, 2024
Talbott a Heavy Prelim Favorite
Unbeaten fighter Payton Talbott is a -2000 favorite to beat Yanis Ghemmouri, which is about as short as it gets.
Talbott is 2-0 since arriving in the UFC, with wins coming over Nick Aguirre by submission and Cameron Saaiman by second-round knockout.
This is his toughest test against a fighter with 12 wins on his record, but as the odds suggest, he shouldn’t be tested.
Ghemmouri was knocked out in his UFC debut against William Gomis, so that’s not a good sign for his future in the company.
- The best value is Talbott to win by KO at -200. There is a chance he will knock Ghemmouri to the ground and then submit him, which pays +375, but we’re picking him to win by knockout.
He’s a dynamic fighter, who could be fighting for a title contender spot in early 2025, if his progression continues.
For UFC betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
