The heavyweight and flyweight titles will be geared up at UFC 270 on Saturday, January 22. Aside from those bouts, plenty of lower-division fights are worth noting.
Sporting News, with the help of Sports interaction, was looking at a showdown that was too close to call — a heavyweight showdown between UFC veteran Trevin Giles and newcomer Michael Morales.
Overview of fighter aircraft
Giles (14-3) made his MMA debut in 2014. After mostly fighting in the LFA, he made his way to the UFC in 2017. He’s 5-3 with promotion. Giles lost his last game in July to Dricus du Plessis. That ended a three-game winning streak. “The Problem” is looking to regain momentum.
Morales (12-0) made his professional debut in 2017. He made his mark in “Dana White’s Contender Series” in September, defeating Nikolay Veretennikov via unanimous decision. He’s one of eight athletes who will make their UFC debut on Saturday after running in DWCS.
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How the war is tilting?
This is the closest match when it comes to betting lines. Based on FanDuel Sportsbook, Giles is the under 100 while Morales is the favorite -118. Sports interaction there’s Giles at -105 and Morales at -125. Most likely, according to Sports Interaction, the fight will go the distance at -155 vs +115.
The best bet would be that Giles wins through some form of knockout, each Sports Interaction. At +450 you can bet $18 to get $99 back ($81 profit). Giles wins via decision of +175, which means a $36 bet will result in a $63 profit and a $99 payout. Morales passed the decision as +150. A $40 bet will result in a $60 profit and a $100 profit.
A decisive win takes precedence, as seen by -190 odds for a fight over 2.5 rounds versus +150 for under 2.5 rounds.
Who has the advantage?
In eight fights with the UFC, Giles has averaged 3.14 significant attacks landed every minute. He also has a 54% attack accuracy rate and a remarkable 60% attack defense. In his three-fight winning streak, Giles took down his opponent twice. Overall, he has an exact takedown rate of 80%.
Morales scored four kills in his final fight, with an accuracy rate of 50 percent. In his last four games before competing at DWCS, he won by some form of knockout.
Morales has a reach advantage (79 inches) over Giles (74 inches), but Giles is just as tough as they come in. His defense is 75% which means it will be difficult to stop him. Morales, however, has the edge when it comes to unpredictability. There’s a reason White signed him, and his strength could have been a factor in his victory.
This match could go either way, according to Sports Interaction, but the upstart has the chance to surprise and make an immediate impact.
Sporting News predictions: Michael Morales via TKO (+395)
