Thomas Almeida (+280) vs. Sean O’Malley (-350)
Weight Class: Bantamweight (135 lbs)
“Sugar” Sean O’Malley will be looking to get back in the win column at UFC 260. One of the most hyped up and comers on the roster, O’Malley suffered his first professional loss at the hands of Chito Vera a few months ago. After a solid start, O’Malley’s leg became compromised and his movement went with it. From there, it was an easy path to a Chito TKO.
After a few months of recovery, Sean O’Malley will be looking to pick up where he left off before the Vera fight. Before the Vera fight, O’Malley was on a rampage with knockout wins over Jose Quinonez and Eddie Wineland.
As for Almeida, the long time UFC veteran will be making just his second UFC appearance since 2018. A Former contender, Almeida came up short against Jonathan Martinez vis decision at UFC Fight Island 6.
While Almeida is a solid UFC veteran, he appears to have lost a step from when he was fighting Jimmie Rivera for a title eliminator. He isn’t as fast and his shots didn’t appear to be nearly as heavy. The Brazilian’s chin is also suspect, as he seems to get dropped at least once a fight. To his credit, Almeida usually gets back up, but the tread has to be close to coming off the tires.
So long as O’Malley’s movement isn’t compromised again, this fight seems ripe for another KO. Almeida fights his best in the pocket and so long as O’Malley is moving, he shouldn’t have the opportunity to get there.
I got in early for Sean O’Malley by knockout, but the prop currently sits at a respectable (-105) on Fanduel. FanDuel is also offering an odds boost for O’Malley by knockout, which I slammed.
Prediction and play: Sean O’Malley knockout (+125) + Sean O’Malley moneyline
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