UFC Fight Night 288 Best Bets: Jean Silva vs. Jose Delgado
UFC Fight Night 288 is scheduled for Saturday, September 12 at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. The event will feature a main event in the Featherweight division between #6 Jean Silva and Jose Delgado. Below, I have my two best bets for UFC Fight Night 288, both of which will include main-card fights.
In addition to my best bets for this event, be sure to check out all of our UFC Fight Night 288 predictions
UFC Fight Night 288 Best Bet: Jean Silva vs. Jose Delgado - Fight to Start Round 3 (-135)
Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook at the time of publishing. Playable to -145.
Silva enters this fight 7-1 in the UFC, averaging 4.82 significant strikes per minute with 51% striking accuracy. On the other side, he absorbs 4.50 strikes and has a striking defense of 53%. Silva has been a solid grappler in the UFC, averaging 1.20 takedowns every 15 minutes, along with a takedown accuracy of 60% and a takedown defense of 78%.
Delgado enters this fight 5-1 in the UFC, averaging 6.07 significant strikes per minute with a striking accuracy of 53%. He absorbs 4.18 strikes at 52% on the defensive side, and his grappling ability is solid, averaging 1.37 takedowns every 15 minutes. His takedown accuracy is 38%, and his takedown defense is 63%.
Delgado has seen three of his six UFC fights start the third round, which includes his last three fights in a row. As for Silva, he has seen just three of his eight UFC fights enter the third round. That said, Delgado has never lost by finish in his career, and I don't see that happening here.
Check out our full Jean Silva vs. Jose Delgado prediction
UFC Fight Night 288 Best Bet: Brandon Moreno ML over Joseph Morales (-102)
Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook at the time of publishing. Playable to -110.
The co-main event at UFC Fight Night 288 will see Brandon Moreno take on Joseph Morales in the Flyweight division. Moreno is 11-7-2 in the UFC, averaging 3.84 significant strikes per minute at 44% accuracy. Meanwhile, he absorbs 3.64 strikes at 59% on the other side. His grappling is solid, but it's the striking volume that's key in this bout. Morales enters this fight at 3-2 in the UFC, averaging just 2.00 significant strikes per minute at 40% accuracy while his opponents land 57% of their shots. He will likely try to grapple, but he has just a 42% takedown accuracy.
Moreno has become slightly inconsistent in the UFC as of late, but I can't get past the striking edge he has in this bout. Further, Moreno has a strong enough takedown defense (65%) to suggest he will be able to limit Morales' submission attempts. Let's not forget, Moreno is a former UFC champion, while Morales is still very early in his UFC career. That experience, along with the striking edge, makes Moreno very appealing in this fight.
