Marlon Moraes is the underdog in the main fight of UFC Utica

M. Moraes is the underdog for the main fight at UFC Utica. Photo: Reproduction / Facebook UFC

This Friday night (01) is also a night of fights. UFC Fight Night Utica features a bantamweight duel as its attraction Jimmie rivera e Marlon moraes. The fight could define the next challenger for the belt in the up to 62,1kg category, but. at least before the duel, the Brazilian is the underdog in the dispute against the North American.

According to the quotation of Oddshark, Rivera has a slight advantage over Marlon in the odds. The expectation is for much more balance, despite Jimmie's annoyance. The North American, who is fourth in the bantamweight rankings, is not satisfied with the presence of Marlon moraes in the top-5, and much less with the choice of the Brazilian to be his opponent. In his opinion, the former WSOF champion still hasn't earned all the attention he's been receiving.

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“I don’t think he deserves it,” Rivera told Fansided. “He has 2 wins and 1 loss and, he said himself, it was a lucky knockout (over aljamain sterling). He was going for a head kick and as his knee was coming up, Sterling was going for the takedown. I don't think he deserves it. It's bad to enter a division where I was champion in three different organizations, defended several times, and he comes from the World Series of Fighting and gets a top-five guy right away.”

Oblivious to the controversy, Marlon moraes arrives with morale after two consecutive victories, and has all the conditions to seek the third. At 30 years old, he is an experienced fighter, with a record of 20 wins, five losses and one draw.

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However, the North American's impressive record gives him slight favoritism. Rivera has been undefeated for almost 10 years, the only defeat of his career came at Ring of Combat 22, in November 2008, when he was defeated by his compatriot Jason McLean in a split decision. Three of his last four fights were against Brazilians, and he got the better of Peter Munhoz, Iuri Alcântara and Thomas almeida, always by unanimous decision.

According to Oddshark, if Moraes manages to break this sequence, the bettor will pocket R$ 1,90 for each real invested. The most likely result, Rivera's victory will pay R$1,83/R$1,00.

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Gregor Gillespie x Vinc Pichel

The co-main fight, involving the lightweights Gregor Gillespie e Vinc Pichel, it seems to be a shambles of the card. Gillespie is one of the most promising fighters of his generation, and with a record of 11 wins and no losses, he is making great strides towards reaching the top 5 in the division. For the UFC, he debuted by winning Glaico France at Fight Night in Brasília, in September 2016, and since then he has defeated Andrew Holbrook, Jason Gonzalez and Jordan Rinaldi, always by knockout or submission.

Pichel became famous when he competed in the TUF final against Rustam Khabilov in 2012, in what was the only defeat of his career so far. The North American is an excellent kickboxer who always seeks the knockout (he has obtained eight of his ten victories this way), and has the greatest reach as an ally to try to surprise. However, he finds it difficult to maintain regularity due to repeated injuries, and has never reached the level of excellence of his opponent.

A victory for Pichel will be a huge surprise, rewarded with a share of R$4,50 for each real wagered. Investing in Gillespie offers more security and a 20% return.

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Walt Harris x Daniel Spitz

In this duel of giants for the heavyweight division, we will have on one side the experienced Walt Harris, 1,96 cm, and on the other, Daniel Spitz, 2,01 cm, who is still taking his first steps in the UFC.

The fight has different weights for each of the athletes. Spitz debuted in the franchise losing to Mark Godbeer at UFC 209, but won his next fight, against Anthony Hamilton, and even if he is defeated again in New York, he is not at risk of being released. Harris, on the other hand, comes from setbacks for Fabricio Werdum and Mark Godbeer, and knows that a new failure could be the last straw for his departure.

Used to taking advantage of his wingspan, this will be a rare occasion in which Harris will face an even taller opponent. The former basketball player, however, still has an advantage in terms of physical strength and agility, which makes him a huge favorite, with a return of R$1,29/R$1,00, while an eventual victory for Spitz will pay a jackpot of R$ 3,55 for each real bet, according to the numbers of the oddsshark

UFC Utica: June 1, 2018, New York (USA)

MAIN CARD (23pm Brasília time)