The UFC heads to New Orleans as Smoothie King Center hosts UFC 318 on Saturday evening. While there may not be many top contenders on this card, several bouts promise fireworks.
Below, my free betting picks and parlay predictions for UFC 318 break down three fights that could get overlooked.
Best UFC 318 parlay picks
Carli Judice moneyline
Ateba Gautier by KO/TKO
Vinicius Oliveira by decision
Carli Judice moneyline
Kicking off the event is a flyweight bout between unranked contenders Carli Judice and Nicolle Caliari. Judice is coming off a vicious head-kick knockout of Yuneisy Duben in a statement victory.
She is a heavy favorite in this matchup, and for good reason. Judice owns a deceptive 4-2 professional record, with both losses coming by razor-thin split decisions, one of which was to former LFA champion Gabriella Fernandes.
Judice moves well and manages distance effectively before attacking with sharp kickboxing. That approach should be enough to defeat the low-level Caliari.
Ateba Gautier by KO/TKO
Ateba Gautier is another sizable favorite this Saturday as he meets Robert Valentin in a middleweight fight. Gautier is enormous for the 185-pound division and carries tremendous knockout power.
He’s shown steady improvement, and his combination of size and strength should overwhelm Valentin quickly. While Valentin is the toughest opponent Gautier has faced, that may not matter if Gautier ends things early, an outcome oddsmakers expect.
Vinicius Oliveira by decision
Ranked bantamweights square off in the featured prelim as Kyler Phillips takes on Vinicius Oliveira.
Phillips’ cardio is a major concern and the key reason he’s the underdog in a fight expected to go the distance. He attempted a grappling-heavy game plan against Rob Font and gassed almost immediately.
As a result, Phillips will likely try to stay on the feet, but his striking can be wild and inaccurate. Meanwhile, Oliveira outlasted Said Nurmagomedov after he faded, and a similar outcome appears likely in this matchup.
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