UFC Fight Night: Allen vs Craig - Picks & Predictions
Brendan Allen vs. Paul Craig - Middleweight division
Our pick: Paul Craig (+285)
Michael Morales vs. Jake Matthews - Welterweight division
Our pick: Michael Morales (-265)
Chase Hooper vs. Jordan Leavitt - Lightweight division
Our pick: Chase Hooper (-235)
Payton Talbott vs. Nick Aguirre - Bantamweight division
Our pick: Payton Talbott (-620)
Luana Pinheiro vs Amanda Ribas - Women’s strawweight division
Our pick: Luana Pinheiro (+210)
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Brendan Allen vs. Paul Craig - Middleweight Division
| Brendan Allen | TALE OF THE TAPE | Paul Craig |
|---|
| 27 | Age | 35 |
| 6 ft 2 in | Height | 6 ft 4 in |
| 75 in | Reach | 76 in |
| 22-5 | Record | 17-6-1 |
Following back-to-back losses, former light heavyweight Paul Craig made the move down to the 185-pound middleweight division for his last fight, where he defeated Andre Muniz via second-round TKO. That recent win earned the Scotsman his eighth performance bonus in the UFC.
This Saturday, he looks to win his second middleweight bout in the main event when he takes on the number-ten-ranked Brendan Allen - a fighter currently on a five-fight winning streak.
Allen most recently defeated Bruno Silva via first-round submission back in June. During his five-fight streak, four of his wins have come via submission.
However, submitting Paul Craig will prove to be a challenge as the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt has seven submission wins of his own under the UFC banner.
Craig will stand two inches taller and have a one-inch reach advantage. However, youth is on Allen’s side, and the 27-year-old is favored to win - being listed at a whopping -400 by oddsmakers.
To find out how to place your bets for this middleweight main event, check out our ultimate UFC betting guide to get started.
Michael Morales vs. Jake Matthews - Welterweight Division
| Michael Morales | TALE OF THE TAPE | Jake Matthews |
|---|
| 24 | Age | 29 |
| 6 ft | Height | 5 ft 11 in |
| 79 in | Reach | 73 in |
| 15-0 | Record | 19-6 |
UFC veteran Jake Matthews will have his hands full in the co-main event this weekend as he takes on undefeated prospect Michael Morales, who is 3-0 in the UFC.
Morales won his first two UFC bouts by TKO before his most recent win which came in the form of a unanimous decision over Max Griffin in July.
Matthews is just 2-2 in his last four but is coming off of an impressive second-round submission win over Darrius Flowers at UFC 291.
Morales will have only a slight edge in height but will enjoy a substantial six-inch reach advantage over Matthews in this weekend’s co-main event. Morales is listed at -265.
Chase Hooper vs. Jordan Leavitt - Lightweight Division
| Chase Hooper | TALE OF THE TAPE | Jordan Leavitt |
|---|
| 24 | Age | 28 |
| 6 ft 1 in | Height | 5 ft 9 in |
| 75.5 in | Reach | 72 in |
| 12-3-1 | Record | 11-2 |
3-3 over his last four fights, Chase Hopper will enter the octagon this Saturday boasting a three-inch advantage in height and a 3.5-inch advantage in reach over Jordan Leavitt.
Following his loss to Paddy Pimblett, Leavitt bounced back with a first-round TKO win over Victor Martinez in February that earned him a performance of the night bonus.
Hooper is coming off of a decision win over Nick Fiore in what was his return to the lightweight division after time spent at 145 pounds.
Payton Talbott vs. Nick Aguirre - Bantamweight Division
| Payton Talbott | TALE OF THE TAPE | Nick Aguirre |
|---|
| 25 | Age | 27 |
| 5 ft 10 in | Height | 5 ft 9 in |
| 70.5 in | Reach | 74 in |
| 6-0 | Record | 7-1 |
Despite less professional experience and a reach disadvantage of 3.5 inches, Payton Talbott will enter the octagon this weekend as the biggest betting favorite on the main card (-620).
In fact, Talbott is coming off of a win on the Contender Series but has yet to fight in the UFC. This Saturday will mark his professional debut.
He takes on Nick Aguierre, who only has one UFC bout on his record - a decision loss against Dan Argueta. It is the only loss on his professional record.
This is truly a battle of the prospects to keep an eye on.
Luana Pinheiro vs. Amanda Ribas - Women’s Strawweight Division
| Luana Pinhero | TALE OF THE TAPE | Amanda Ribas |
|---|
| 29 | Age | 30 |
| 5 ft 2 in | Height | 5 ft 4 in |
| 62 in | Reach | 66 in |
| 11-1 | Record | 12-4 |
Somewhat surprisingly, top-ten-ranked fighters are kicking off the main Fight Night card instead of seeing themselves in the co-main or main event.
Number-nine-ranked Luana Pinheiro, who is riding a nine-fight winning streak, takes on number-ten-ranked Amanda Ribas - who is actually just 2-2 over her last four fights.
Ribas is coming off of a TKO loss at the hands of Maycee Barber whereas Pinheiro is coming off of a split-decision win over Michelle Waterson.
Ribas will be the taller and longer fighter in the contest and, with her experience in the UFC, rightfully comes in as the -280 favorite to win.
How to Watch UFC Fight Night: Allen vs Craig
LOCATION: UFC Apex, Enterprise, Nevada
WHEN: Saturday, November 18
TIME: 7 PM EST
HOW: ESPN, ESPN+
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