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We’re in for a good one in two weeks, but before UFC 309 arrives, MMA bettors can still cash in with UFC Fight Night 247.
My UFC Fight Night 246 picks were brutal, as Mike Malott (-250) was the only main card bet that converted. Two of the other fights went down to the wire, but were ultimately losing Decisions, while the Derrick Lewis bout was scrapped entirely.
The good news? I at least had some success in the Prelims, going 5-3. It was an event full of betting landmines, so hopefully you went especially hard on Romanov (+101), who found a way to get the job done.
Things don’t exactly get easier this week, as UFC Fight Night is back with the main event between Neil Magny and Carlos Prates. The action fires off at 3:00 pm EST with the Prelims on ESPN+, with the main card following at 6:00 pm EST.
Eager to see how to bet on this week’s card? Join me as I analyze the latest UFC Fight Night 247 betting odds and come away with my predicted winners.
UFC Fight Night 247 Odds
Here are the UFC Fight Night 247 betting odds at the top MMA betting sites.
UFC Fight Night 247 Favorite | UFC Fight Night 247 Underdog | UFC Fight Night 247 Prediction |
---|---|---|
Carlos Prates -750 | Neil Magny +550 | Carlos Prates -750 |
Miles Johns -160 | Cody Garbrandt +140 | Cody Garbrandt +140 |
Reinier de Ridder -285 | Gerald Meerschaert +245 | Gerald Meerschaert +245 |
Bernardo Sopai -300 | Ricky Turcios +250 | Bernardo Sopai -300 |
Gillian Robertson -375 | Luana Pinheiro +310 | Gillian Robertson -375 |
Mansur Abdul-Malik -340 | Dusko Todorovic +280 | Mansur Abdul-Malik -340 |
The UFC Fight Night 247 main card is pretty gross. The main event is about as lopsided as it gets, with Prates entering as a huge betting favorite.
Only one fight on the main card is priced tightly, so it’s worth wondering if we’re looking at a clean sweep of favorites to close out the night.
Of course, it’s rarely that simple, so it’s important to track fighter momentum and gauge matchups so you know you’re making the best bet possible.
I’ll walk you through each showdown and offer my top UFC picks for this event, but if you need even more help – for this or any other sports betting markets – check out our guide to the top sports betting handicappers online.
UFC 309 Main Card Predictions
The main card wraps up this event on ESPN+ at 6:00 pm EST. It’s not the most star-studded main card, but you can still profit from it with my top picks.
Carlos Prates (-750) vs. Neil Magny (+550)
The 37-year old Magny is a glorified gatekeeper for the UFC at this point. He’s far from a bad fighter, as evidenced by his 29 wins, but he’s also suffered 13 losses and he’s not what he once was.
Magny is fairly versatile and tough as nails, but he’s still been finished early nine times and has seen a whopping 17 of his wins end in Decision. He’s been inconsistent of late, too, going just 3-3 over his last six fights.
He does enter this bout with a two-inch edge in reach, but the striking edge goes to the more dominant Prates (20-6), who has an insane 15 knockouts to his name and hasn’t tasted defeat since 2019.
Prates is on an absurd 10-fight winning streak at the moment, even starting 3-0 in the UFC. All of those fights were early finishes, too, so logic suggests he has a solid chance to keep the good times rolling in this matchup.
Magny is experienced enough to hang around, but given the price tag, I think hunting down a KO win for Prates is the best approach.
Bet: Carlos Prates -750
Miles Johns (-160) vs. Cody Garbrandt (+140)
Anytime you see Cody “No Love” Garbrandt on a card, you know you’re in for a treat. You also know it’s likely that someone in that bout is hitting the canvas and not getting up.
Lately that’s been Garbrandt, who is an elite striker and menacing KO artist (11 KO wins), but his style and weak chin leaves him remarkably vulnerable to KOs, himself. That’s been the result in many of his recent fights, as he’s been KO’d four times since 2017 and in his last fight he got submitted.
Of course, getting Garbrandt’s fearless style at +140 feels like too good of value to pass up. He did remind everyone of his power with a KO victory against Brian Kelleher in December of 2023, after all.
No Love is live to get knocked out, but he’s also still vicious enough to deliver a show-stopping win. I’ll admit that Miles Johns is a tough test, but Johns (4 career KOs) might not be the scary opponent we should really fear when going up against No Love.
All things told, Garbrandt can still pack a serious punch and getting him at +140 feels like a steal. Don’t be shocked if he bounces back in a big way at UFC FN 247.
Bet: Cody Garbrandt +140
Reinier de Ridder (-285) vs. Gerald Meerschaert (+245)
You could get even more value with someone like Meerschaert, who comes in as a sizable +245 underdog despite having 37 victories on his resume.
More than that, Meerschaert is an elite technician, racking up a mind-boggling 29 wins via submission. Needless to say, he wants the fight to go to the ground, and if it does, he’s a good bet to stage the upset.
He’s riding solid momentum all of a sudden, as he’s won each of his last two fights and they’ve come against solid names in Bryan Barberena and Edmen Shahbazyan.
This week he’ll try to silence the hype surrounding The Dutch Knight, who comes into his UFC debut at 17-2 with 11 submission wins of his own. The big problem? Ridder has elite defense on the floor, having never been finished early on the canvas.
That doesn’t mean it can’t happen, though, and given Meerschaert’s experience and production – not to mention his awesome price – I don’t mind betting on him teaching the Netherlands native a lesson or two.
Bet: Gerald Meerschaert +245
Bernardo Sopai (-300) vs. Ricky Turcios (+250)
I’d love to keep chasing UFC upsets on this card, but the buck stops here. Bernardo Sopai (11-3) is a hefty favorite and I tend to think he will live up to the billing when he faces off with Ricky Turcios (13-4).
Sopai did lose his UFC debut thanks to a flying knee by Vinicius Oliveira, but this fight gives him a chance to bounce back. He’s the younger fighter by seven years and has been the superior takedown artist, at least statistically.
Turcios could still be a problem, of course. He has slightly more experience, he’s taller, and he has a major reach edge (five inches). He’s also the more impactful striker, edging out Sopai in significant strikes landed per minute.
That’s all worth noting, but Sopai was destructive prior to arriving in the UFC, scoring seven KO wins and winning each of his three previous fights by early stoppage. Don’t be shocked if he rediscovers his form and does something similar in this one.
Bet: Bernardo Sopai -300
Gillian Robertson (-375) vs. Luana Pinheiro (+310)
We have a fun fight for the ladies on the main card, as Gillian Robertson (14-8) will hope to live up to her favorite status against Luana Pinheiro (11-3).
Pinheiro is two years older, but she has a more impressive record and was actually 11-1 before getting tripped up against two solid fighters in Amanda Ribas and Angela Hill. It wouldn’t be shocking for her to right the ship here and return insane betting value in the process.
That said, Robertson has superior striking accuracy and better takedown offense. On paper, she’s also the more skilled fighter, and she’s lethal on the canvas (9 career submission wins). I also prefer her recent form, as she took care of business against Michelle Waterson-Gomez this past June, and is 4-1 over her last five fights.
The price stinks, but I think the more battle-tested Robertson is the right call here.
Bet: Gillian Robertson -375
Mansur Abdul-Malik (-340) vs. Dusko Todorovic (+280)
Wrapping up the UFC Fight Night 247 main card is Mansur Abdul-Malik (6-0) versus Dusko Todorovic (12-4).
This will be Abdul-Malik’s first fight under the UFC banner, but he has been very impressive thus far, as he’s undefeated with five of six wins coming via KO. He put his skills firmly on display in the Dana White’s Contender Series, delivering a TKO win against Wesley Shultz this past August.
He’s a major KO threat here, even though Dusko is a vicious KO artist in his own right. It’s absolutely worth noting that he has 8 career KO wins to his name, with two coming since 2021 in the UFC.
Unfortunately, he’s gotten knocked out three times, and vulnerability isn’t something we will want to get excited about with who he’s facing. Todorovic is live for the upset, but this very much feels like a slam dunk for Mansur. I think he wins pretty easily and if you can find a KO bet, I’d hammer it.
Bet: Mansur Abdul-Malik -340
UFC 309 Preliminary Card Predictions
The UFC Fight Night party officially starts at 3:00 pm EST with the Prelims. Check out all the bouts and how I’d bet on them this week.
Denise Gomes (-500) vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz (+385)
The UFC Fight Night 247 Prelims fire off with some underrated fights. One is this tilt between the heavily favored Gomes (9-3) and the legendary Kowalkiewicz (16-8).
Obviously Karolina isn’t what she used to be. She remains a huge name, but at age 39 she’s a far cry from the woman who started off 10-0 to get her career going. It’s largely been downhill ever since losing to Joanna Jedrzejczyk back in 2016, and she’s just 4-6 over her last 10 fights.
That said, if we take a closer look, she’s actually 4-1 over her last five, and her only loss since 2022 came via Decision to Iasmin Lucindo. We know she doesn’t offer any KO upside, but she’s still a grizzly fighter who doesn’t go quietly into the night.
For nostalgia’s sake, picking Kowalkiewicz at +385 isn’t the worst thing you can do on this MMA betting slate. That said, Gomes is far younger, has better takedown offense, and has proven to be the more accurate striker.
There’s something to be said about her finishing power (6 KOs) as well. My heart says Karolina, but my wallet says Gomes.
Bet: Denise Gomez -500
Cortavious Romious (-200) vs. Gaston Bolanos (+170)
Romious enters UFC FN 247 as a solid -200 betting favorite, as he’s two years younger than his opponent and has displayed sharper striking accuracy. He has also proven to be a versatile fighter, securing five submission wins and going 9-2 overall.
Romious also has good form, as he edged out Michael Imperato in his last bout, and has now gone 5-1 over his last six fights. He’s facing Bolanos, who is three inches taller and has an inch in reach advantage.
Bolanos is known as The Dreamkiller thanks to his KO ability (six of seven wins have been KOs), but his recent form (2-3 over last five) is suspect. I think this is a close call, but I prefer the skills and form of Romious.
Bet: Cortavious Romious -200
Charles Radtke (-155) vs. Matthew Semelsberger (+135)
There are some pretty fun fights on the UFC FN card this week, and this is certainly one of them, as Radtke (9-4) and Semesberger (11-7) are two vicious strikers who play for keeps.
Radtke is the ever so slight favorite, but he’s far from safe. Carlos Prates KO’d him in his last fight, which ended a nice six-fight winning streak. He has a solid four KOs to his name, but with two KO losses, Chuck Buffalo isn’t the most trustworthy fighter.
I think you can say the very same for Semelsberger, who is a dangerous striker (6 KO wins) that also leaves himself open to nasty work. Luckily, it hasn’t cost him damaging early stoppage losses lately, and he’s just being out-worked via Decision losses.
Semelsberger is live to rock Radtke’s world at any point, but he actually hasn’t stopped anyone early since knocking out Martin Sano back in 2021. I’m not saying his power is gone, but I do think I trust Radtke’s form more.
Bet: Charles Radtke -155
Da’Mon Blackshear (-275) vs. Cody Stamann (+235)
Cody Stamann (21-7-1) is the opposite of the guys I just took a look at. He has a ton of gritty wins, and he’s just one of the toughest dudes in the UFC. He won’t end many fights early, but he is nearly impossible to take out.
Seriously, Stamann has exhibited enough KO power (7 KO wins) but in 29 career MMA bouts, he’s only been finished via submission. He’s 34 now and is just 2-5 over his last seven fights, but he always shows up and is never an easy out.
Ultimately, I find it difficult to get away from Blackshear (14-7-1), who isn’t going to win this thing with his fists (just 2 career KOs), but should have the edge on the ground (9 submissions).
Stamann has made a living outlasting opponents, and I’d expect the same approach here. His defense and ability to absorb punishment give him a shot, but if this one goes to the ground, I think he’s in trouble.
Bet: Da’Mon Blackshear -275
Tresean Gore (-185) vs. Antonio Trocoli (+160)
This is one of the tighter fights in terms of MMA odds, with Tresean Gore (5-2) a narrow favorite. He’s the younger fighter with superior striking accuracy and far better takedown offense, but it’s worth noting that he really has yet to live up to the hype following a 3-0 start.
So far, he’s just 1-2 in the UFC, although his last fight ended in a submission win over Josh Fremd. He’ll be facing a more experienced mixed martial artist in Trocoli (12-4), but one that is 0-1 in the UFC so far.
This might be the toughest pick of the slate, but I am leaning on talent and momentum here. Gore has gotten off to a slow start, but he got to the UFC due to his prior dominance and in his last bout he flashed his potential.
Look for him to live up to that with a big second win under the UFC banner.
Bet: Tresean Gore -185
Melissa Mullins (-240) vs. Klaudia Sygula (+205)
Lastly, we have another female-centric bout, with Melissa Mullins (6-1) coming in as a huge favorite against Sgula (6-1). These fighters share the same exact record, but Mullins actually has UFC experience.
It’s not like she’s dominated under the UFC banner, of course, as she only won her debut via Decision and then got knocked back to a peg or two in a TKO loss by the hands of Nora Cornolle.
She’s been KO or bust so far in her career, finding her way to three KO wins, with the others going the distance. Sygula doesn’t have the UFC experience her opponent does, but she’s proven to be a more versatile finisher so far and seems to have learned from her one and only defeat.
Sygula lost via submission in her pro debut back in 2021, but she hasn’t lost since. She’s been especially impressive lately, too, notching consecutive TKO victories. I love the form, her versatility, and the betting value. Go big or go home.
Bet: Klaudia Sygula +205
UFC Fight Night 247 Fight Card
UFC Fight Night 247 Favorite | UFC Fight Night 247 Underdog | UFC Fight Night 247 Prediction |
---|---|---|
Carlos Prates -750 | Neil Magny +550 | Carlos Prates -750 |
Miles Johns -160 | Cody Garbrandt +140 | Cody Garbrandt +140 |
Reinier de Ridder -285 | Gerald Meerschaert +245 | Gerald Meerschaert +245 |
Bernardo Sopai -300 | Ricky Turcios +250 | Bernardo Sopai -300 |
Gillian Robertson -375 | Luana Pinheiro +310 | Gillian Robertson -375 |
Mansur Abdul-Malik -340 | Dusko Todorovic +280 | Mansur Abdul-Malik -340 |
Denise Gomes -500 | Karolina Kowalkiewicz +385 | Denise Gomez -500 |
Cortavious Romious -200 | Gaston Bolanos +170 | Cortavious Romious -200 |
Charles Radtke -155 | Matthew Semelsberger +135 | Charles Radtke -155 |
Da’Mon Blackshear -275 | Cody Stamann +235 | Da’Mon Blackshear -275 |
Tresean Gore -185 | Antonio Trocoli +160 | Tresean Gore -185 |
Melissa Mullins -240 | Klaudia Sygula +205 | Klaudia Sygula +205 |