The last fight card of February is taking place this weekend. All the fights are locked in place and it looks like we are going to have a terrific Fight Night full of exciting matchups. Let’s take a closer look at the top three fights on the card and examine the odds.
Islam Makhachev vs. Bobby Green
Islam Makhachev is a huge favorite as he gets an opportunity to go after a 10th straight victory when he takes on Bobby Green.
Makhachev has been grinding his way up the ranks throughout the last couple of years and now has a 21-1 record. As for Green, this will be the first headlining fight of his career. The 35-year-old from California finished 2021 with a knockout win over Al LaQuinta, then carried his momentum over to a unanimous victory against Nasrat Haqparast. Green wasn’t even expected to be on the card either. Makhachev’s original opponent was meant to be Beneil Dariush, who got pushed out of the fight due to a leg injury. Still, Green is a battle-tested fighter that won’t make it easy on Makhachev.
Misha Cirkunov vs. Wellington Turman
Misha Cirkunov will be making his second career start in the middleweight division when he takes on Wellington Turman. Cirkunov was formerly fighting in the Light Heavyweight division but chose to drop down to a lighter division. This division is likely to help him feel a lot more comfortable but he has a tough opponent in Turman, though.
Turman has a 15-2 record since joining the UFC and recently ended a two-bout losing streak with a split decision win against Sam Alvey. Similar to the previous fight, Turman wasn’t supposed to be Cirkunov’s opponent here but jumped on the opportunity to replace Makhmud Muradov.
On paper, it seems like Cirkunov is going to be a much scarier physical presence than Turman. However, Turman is a lot younger happens to be far quicker standing up. The total for this bout sits at 1.5 rounds with under at -140, so the oddsmakers are expecting a quick bout.
Arman Tsarukyan vs. Joel Alvarez
Arman Tsarukyan and Joel Alvarez will be squaring off on Fight Night to see who can reach the Top 15 in the Lightweight Division.
Tsarukyan first started fighting in the UFC in 2019 when he gave this event’s headliner, Islam Makhachev, all that he could handle (even though he lost). He got a lot of recognition for the effort, though, and used that to fuel a four-fight winning streak.
Alvarez debuted a few months after Tsarukyan and lost his opening fight via unanimous decision. After that loss, though, he has been improving every time he steps into the octagon. He has won his last couple of fights but has missed weight in those contests, which is not exactly something his coaches like to see.
Each of these fighters presents different skillsets and could provide for an explosive performance. Tsarukyan is a mid-sized favorite in this spot, so we’ll see if he can deliver.