UFC 250: Cody Garbrandt vs. Raphael Assuncao | UFC Prediction & Betting Tips - bettingexpert
UFC 250: Cody Garbrandt vs. Raphael Assuncao | UFC Prediction & Betting Tips
In the co-main event of UFC 250, UFC Bantamweight Cody “No Love” Garbrandt makes his return to the cage after a long layoff. After losing his UFC title to rival and former teammate TJ Dillashaw, “No Love” would find himself on a 3-fight skid losing a rematch to Dillashaw and being knocked out against 135 contender Pedro Munhoz. Now, Gabrandt needs a win to get back on track. Garbrandt faces UFC veteran Raphael Assuncao on June 7th in the UFC APEX facility in Las Vegas, Nevada. Here we take a look at both fighters involved in the co-main event of UFC 250 and predict who the victor will be. Cody and Assuncao were scheduled originally for March 28, but Cody was forced to withdraw due to kidney issues. Let’s have a look.
Fight Prediction
Cody Garbrandt (11-3) needs to snap his 3-fight skid to get his swagger back in the UFC Bantamweight division. “No Love” has looked sensational in his UFC run, however, his last three performances have been lacklustre. The Cody Garbrandt who took the Bantamweight belt from Dominick Cruz has been absent since 2016. In his place, a headless, overly-aggressive, and plain unintelligent version of Garbrandt is what we have got to see. After a hurt TJ Dillashaw was saved by the bell from a hard counter-hook in the first round of their 2017 bout, the fight seemed to be Cody’s. However, after a second round of gloating and showboating, Garbrandt got caught with a sharp hook from Dillashaw.
Garbrandt became too comfortable in there, and as a result, lost his undefeated record. In the two fights that followed, we saw a mentally compromised Gabrandt overexerting himself trying to get an early KO and being punished because of it both times. Will Garbrandt make the necessary adjustments to shake his sluggish tendencies? That’s the million-dollar question, folks. After rumors circulating the internet regarding Garbrandt’s departure from his long-time stable, Team Alpha Male, Garbrandt issued a statement explaining that he was adding another coach to his team and wasn’t leaving Alpha Male.
Raphael Assuncao (27-7) is coming off a 2-fight skid himself but hasn’t looked out of touch as Garbrandt has. The last time we saw Assuncao in the cage was when he fought Cory Sandhagen and lost a unanimous decision at UFC 241.
If Garbrandt fights as he did against Pedro Munhoz, he will lose no matter who is standing across from him in the octagon. The amount of uncertainty surrounding Garbrandt is too big to confidently predict him to win this fight. Assuncao has lost his last two but there’s more certainty as to what version of Assuncao will show up when he’s in the cage. Assuncao did look a bit lost in his last fight against Cory Sandhagen, but Garbrandt isn’t as lengthy and trades more in the pocket.
Garbrandt hasn’t won a fight since 2016, and Assuncao has a lot of tools in his arsenal. He is a good grappler and has heavy hands. Garbrandt is mostly a striker, with great takedown defense. Assuncao has a wider array of tools, however, and when you factor in the chin and composure issues of “No Love” the advantages are on Raphael Assuncao’s side.
Prediction: Raphael Assuncao def. Cody Garbrandt via split-decision.
Betting Tips
After 3 consecutive knockout losses, Garbrandt has to be aware of his inability to take a shot. Look for “No Love” to be extra cautious and feel out his opponent for the majority of the first two rounds. Both guys really need this win, Garbrandt the most. We expect him to be extra technical and approach this fight looking to take no chances.
Betting tip: The fight goes the distance.
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Fight Statistics
Here is the tale of the tape for this UFC bout between Cody Garbrandt and Raphael Assuncao.
Cody Garbrandt
Cody “No Love” Garbrandt burst on to the UFC scene with a first-round TKO win over Marcus Brimage. The American quickly gained momentum as he racked up five consecutive wins.
Eventually, his tear in the Bantamweight division would earn him a title shot against Dominick Cruz, a fight that Garbrandt won in spectacular fashion. Cody is known for his incredible hand speed which has granted him countless knockouts in his MMA career.
Raphael Assuncao
A true MMA veteran is Raphael Assuncao. The Brazilian has 34 professional fights on his resume, 27 of those resulting in victories. Assuncao has a tight submission game and has heavy hands as well. In the UFC, Assuncao is 11-4. He has beaten big names such as Aljamain Sterling, T.J. Dillashaw, and Marlon Moraes.
Despite losing his last two, Assuncao isn’t done yet, and can still put up a great fight. Sporting one of the best chins in the Bantamweight division, the Brazilian can take most of what you throw at him and still remain standing.
