UFC Fight Night: Betting preview and tips for main card at UFC's Apex

Recommended bets

2pts Eye v Calvillo to go to decision at 4/7

• The Dvalishvili v Borg fight has been cancelled and previously-advised bets are void; Dvalishvili v Lopez preview added below

The UFC hosts another card at its Apex on Saturday night, with the promotion looking to follow up on two excellent events in last week's UFC 250, and the previous week's fight night card.

This one doesn’t contain the same amount of star power as those before it, nor does it contain as many fights, with just 10 on the card as a whole, and public perception is that this is a card for the diehard MMA fanbase.

Jessica Eye will look to win back-to-back fights and defend her number one spot in the women’s flyweight rankings, as she takes on division newcomer Cynthia Calvillo, who steps up in weight from 115lbs to the 125lbs mark.

Also on the main card you have the rearranged bout between Marvin Vettori and Karl Roberson, the two having had to push their meeting back twice, with the original cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and the re-arranged bout called off just hours before it was scheduled to begin due to Roberson falling ill.

Here are my bets for this weekend’s main card.

Eye v Calvillo to go to decision

This fight is one which could have implications on the division, yet with said division currently being dominated by Valentina Shevchenko, it’s not really getting the attention it deserves.

Eye was obliterated by Shevchenko last June, but showed resilience in her next bout, which she won by decision over Viviane Arujo.

Evil has implemented her resilience into her fighting style, with 16 of her 22 pro fights going the distance, showing she has the heart and durability to go into the last rounds. Of those 16 decisions, she has won 11.

What she lacks though is finishing ability, with only three KOs and a single submission win on her record, and the most recent of those finishes was back in 2014.

On the other side of the cage you have Calvillo, who is up in weight and is undefeated in her last three fights.

Calvillo’s step up in weight is something I am slightly wary of. Given her record (8-1-1 with five wins inside the distance) I would have been tempted to maybe have a small bet on her to win, but I’ve seen fighters time and time again go up in weight and then struggle with cardio or the power their opposition can throw.

I’m expecting a steady pace from the outset, with both women looking to land strikes before taking the fight to the floor, but I really can’t predict a winner.

Georgian to beat Lopez

• The Dvalishvili v Borg fight has been cancelled and bets are void; Dvalishvili fights Gustavo Lopez instead, previewed below

Merab Dvalishvili is currently riding a three-fight win streak and takes on UFC debutant Gustavo Lopez, who replaces Ray Borg on just 48 hours' notice.

The Georgian fighter possess a very heavy wrestling style, with an average of just under eight takedowns per 15 minutes, and a takedown accuracy percentage of 45%.

This wrestling style is difficult for any fighter to work around, and it will be the first time Lopez has encountered an elite level wrestler in the world’s top MMA promotion, which is a daunting prospect for anyone.

The one issue Dvalishvili has though is an inability to keep his opponents on the floor once he has taken them down.

In his last fight, The Machine landed 12 takedowns, which is great in theory, until you realise that means his opponent was able to get up several times, showing a lack of control on the Georgian’s part.

I expect Dvalishvili to take his run of three decision wins to four decision wins by using relentless wrestling based offence to beat Lopez, wearing him down, and giving the American his third decision loss.

Expect the Georgian to keep looking for takedowns and to hold Lopez down for as long as possible while mixing in some strikes to edge the win on the judges’ scorecards.

Posted at 1545 BST on 11/06/20

Read more: Will Dean on the weekend prelims

Responsible gambling

We are committed in our support of responsible gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.

Sky Bet's responsible gambling tools are detailed here and if you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133, or visit begambleaware.org.

Further support and information can be found at GamCare and gamblingtherapy.org.