UFC Fight Night 235 Predictions: Full Card, Prelims Betting Picks
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Vladislav Tchakarov
Despite the lack of high-profile bouts, we managed to select several solid UFC Fight Night 235 predictions that could earn us a profit on Saturday. Which are the best fights on this card?
UFC Fight Night 235 Predictions: Three Main Card Bouts to Consider
Moicano vs Dober Prediction
There is a strong feeling that Moicano’s peak is already behind him, although it is too early to classify the 34-year-old fighter as a veteran. Nowadays, Moicano is far from the top level and is not even shy about declaring that mixed martial arts is just a business for him. Renato has been absent from the cage for more than a year, and his main trump card remains wrestling – the Brazilian is much less effective on his feet.
Dober is the complete opposite. He prefers to work in a standing position and regularly knocks out his opponents. True, Drew’s level of opposition is not always high. The American has some wrestling skills, but they are not enough to resist the best fighters in the division – Makhachev and Dariush managed to finish their fights with Dober by submission.
There is no clear favorite in this fight, because Moicano translates mediocrely, and Drew does not defend well against takedowns. Renato may as well suffer irreparable damage while he takes his opponent to the canvas and either fighter can win this bout. However, we will give preference to the Brazilian for our UFC Fight Night 235 predictions, as he has more experience in confronting top opposition.
• Moicano to Win
Brown vs Salikhov Prediction
The Jamaican athlete is one of those fighters who does not show anything outstanding but knows a little bit of everything. Brown lost to all serious high-level opponents he met in his career: Belal Muhammad, Vicente Luque, and Jack Della Maddalena. The Jamaican wins mostly against guys who are not of the highest level, or who are in decline, like 45-year-old Trinaldo.
Salikhov failed to become the next Russian star in the UFC. Partly, Muslim did not have enough time and opportunities, partly he lacked the skills. He came to the promotion quite late and fought quite rarely, reaching his first big fight at the age of 38.
Muslim is a puncher, but now he rarely manages to knock out his opponents. Brown will take advantage of his versatility and age and if Salikhov loses again, he may even retire. We pick Brown for our UFC Fight Night 235 predictions.
• Brown to Win
Araujo vs Silva Prediction
Araujo broke into the UFC well and won several convincing victories. Finding herself among the best, Viviane lost her passion and was defeated by Chookagian, Grasso, and even Ribas. Araujo's last nine bouts all ended via decision and we do not expect much from this bout.
Silva is still unknown to the wide audience; she was recently signed by the UFC. However, the girl proved herself to be the next big prospect and won all four of her UFC fights to date. Natalia is determined to finish her fights early, having good striking and wrestling skills, and we rely on her to bring the heat.
Bookmakers consider Silva the undisputed favorite here and while it is possible that she will put Araujo to sleep, we have a different idea for our UFC Fight Night 235 predictions. We would rather bet on the crazy odds for Araujo and hope that her experience will be enough.
UFC Fight Night 235 Prelims Predictions: Our Top Pick
Maksum vs Johnson Prediction
Maksum is a former Octagon Flyweight Champion and also performed in Brave FC before joining the UFC. He is undefeated with 17 professional wins.
Azat often throws long straight and side punches while remaining at a safe distance. The Kazakh quickly attacks with a left jab to set up a passage to the legs. With the help of twos, Maxum drives his opponent to the net and then showers him with heavy side kicks.
Maksum makes lightning-fast takedowns and easily slams opponents. The Kazakhstani dominates on the ground due to his physical strength. However, his opponent is a dangerous man with a very diverse skill set.
From a long distance, Charles kicks his opponent in the body and sometimes adds a high kick. Using short steps, he easily closes in on his opponent and lands with an uppercut or hook. Johnson moves a lot and is difficult to hit, and he is ready at any moment to explode with a single cross or a two with a middle kick.
At close range, Charles can hook an opponent with an elbow strike or grab him for a throw. The American fights well against the cage, hits with knees and trips his opponent. On the canvas, Johnson defends well.
Having failed in his last match, Charles looked as depressed as possible, because it was not only a bad performance but also his 3rd defeat in a row. The American is seriously determined to win back and remain in the promotion, while Maksum will have the motivation to maintain a perfect record and perform better than in his debut.
Johnson's main problem is cardio. In addition, he is inferior to Azat in speed, wrestling, and punching power. We believe that Maksum will remain undefeated after this bout and we pick him for our UFC Fight Night 235 predictions.
• Maksum to Win
UFC Fight Night 235 Full Card Predictions: The Best of the Rest
Khirziev vs Muradov Prediction
The Russian fighter only recently got the opportunity to prove himself in the UFC, having qualified through Dana White’s Contender Series all the way back in 2020. In the first fight, Khizriev quickly submitted his compatriot Tiuliulin. However, Aliaskhab has to prove himself as an all-rounder, and from what we have seen, he has real potential.
Muradov is a puncher and has shown great promise, winning three straight victories since joining the UFC. However, as the level of opposition grew, it became clear that Muradov lacked the knockout power – Meerschaert and Borralho exposed his flaws. Muradov feels insecure on the ground and this is the key to victory for Khizriev. We picked Khirziev for our UFC Fight Night 235 predictions.
This should be an entertaining bout as we have two distinguished strikers in an early fight. Landon did not impress in his bout against Haqparast but we have to note that Nasrat is a Top 15 fighter and there is no shame in losing against him.
Mederos is not that good, on paper, but his speed and explosiveness could give him the edge here. He will either deliver the final blow or earn points and win via decision. We are unlikely to see any wrestling in this matchup and we generally expect this to be a quick one. We pick Mederos for our UFC Fight Night 235 predictions.
• Mederos to Win
Betting on low-profile fights presents a higher risk but we often see far better odds for these bouts and bookmakers often make mistakes in their analysis. With this said, we believe that we found several picks that are worth betting on. Good luck and let's pray for a great event on Saturday.
Vlad is a former amateur MMA fighter. After a series of injuries, he found a different way to connect with the sport and its fanbase - through writing. He's been covering everything-UFC for over 5 years on various platforms and has been part of the team at NYFights since early 2022.
