UFC betting tips: Preview and best bets for TV action at UFC San Diego

MMA betting tips: UFC San Diego

2pts Dominick Cruz to win at 15/8 (General)

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair Sportsbook

Longstanding UFC fans would struggle to think of a fighter that has evolved more drastically in the last decade than Marlon Vera. The Ecuadorian’s career in the organisation began with two losses from his first three outings, and few could have predicted he would be sitting comfortably in the Bantamweight division’s top 15 almost a decade later.

In even more impressive fashion, DOMINICK CRUZ has managed to stand his ground amongst the Bantamweight division’s best for as long as Vera has been fighting professionally. The Dominator won the inaugural 135lbs UFC belt in 2011, has seen it change hands on nine occasions since, and is still fighting at the highest level.

The future Hall-of-Famer may be nearing the end of his career, but his intelligent style still proves a worthy challenge for opponents. In his last outing in December, Cruz put on one of his best performances in some time, surviving the powerful striking of Pedro Munhoz and point-fighting his way to a one-sided victory. Against Vera, the part-time UFC commentator gets the opportunity to compete in a five-round main event once again, as he did so successfully in his prime.

Vera’s continuous rise has been a great journey to follow, but the end results have flattered his actual performances inside the Octagon. Chito is a dedicated finisher and has relied heavily on his ability to land knockdowns and secure submissions, as opposed to winning individual exchanges and minutes.

In his most recent victory, Vera was out-landed by 112 significant strikes by Rob Font, but scored three knockdowns in consecutive rounds that swung the balance in his favour. Prior to that win, his third-round knockout of an ageing Frankie Edgar came as somewhat of an upset, with the American leading on the judges’ scorecards prior to a spectacular finish from Vera.

Cruz will therefore have to be extremely careful of his opponent’s opportunistic nature, but the former champion has long been considered one of the most defensively intelligent fighters in MMA history. Many have tried and failed to defeat The Dominator with a stoppage victory, and only one person has managed to better him on the scorecards in 27 outings.

If Cruz can utilise his best defensive assets and stay out of danger, he should certainly put together the much more impressive body of work over 25 minutes. Vera’s improvements have been impressive, but having him favoured so considerably over a former champion like Cruz seems like a case of recency bias. Therefore, backing Dominick Cruz to win at almost 2/1 is the most appealing bet on the entire card.

• CLICK HERE to back Cruz with Sky Bet

Posted at 0945 BST on 11/08/22

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