UFC 225 Betting Preview & Predictions

The United Center in Chicago will host UFC 225, which features a card full of intriguing fights, including the rematch between middleweight champ Robert Whittaker and challenger Yoel Romero. Whittaker took the interim title in a win over Romero in 2017 and then got the full belt when Georges St-Pierre vacated the title. The co-main event features a bout between Rafael dos Anjos and Colby Covington for the interim welterweight title. Some other interesting fights feature Holly Holm against Megan Anderson, who has impressed as an Invicta FC featherweight and now makes her UFC debut. Tai Tuivasa, a heavyweight prospect from down under, gets his toughest challenge to date when he faces former chap Andrei Arlovski. Check out the fight card, the fight odds and our MMA betting insights on a couple of the matchups.

UFC 225 Betting Preview & Predictions

Main Card (10:00pm ET, Pay Per View)

• Robert Whittaker (-240) vs Yoel Romero (+190)
• Rafael dos Anjos (-120) vs Colby Covington (-110)
• Megan Anderson (+180) vs Holly Holm (-230)
• Andrei Arlovski (+215) vs Tai Tuivasa (-275)
• CM Punk (+175) vs Mike Jackson (-225)

Preliminary Card (8:00pm ET, FS1)

• Curtis Blaydes (-175)  vs Alistair Overeem (+155)
• Claudia Gadelha (-550) vs Carla Esparza (+425)
• Ricardo Lamas (+190) vs Mirsad Bektic (-230)
• Chris de la Rocha (+155) vs Rashad Coulter (-175)

Preliminary Card (6:00pm ET, Fight Pass)

• Rashad Evans (+270) vs Anthony Smith (-330)
• Joseph Benavidez (-250) vs Sergio Pettis (+210)
• Clay Guida (+140) vs Charles Oliveira (-160)
• Dan Ige (-135) vs Mike Santiago (+115)

Robert Whittaker vs Yoel Romero gives us a rematch of a fight that Whittaker won despite an MCL tear that basically made him fight on one leg. Yes, Romero was the dominant fighter in the first two rounds, but then Whittaker dominated the last three to take the fight on the cards. Romero has elite wrestling skills, as his Olympic silver medal and other wrestling trophies show, but he has decided in UFC to rely on his punching power to win fights, looking for knockouts. The problem is that when you just have one weapon, quality opponents will prepare for it and keep you from using it. Romero was able to deliver a knockout against Luke Rockhold in February, but Whittaker was able to work around it — and should be able to do so again, particularly with two good legs under him. I see him holding off Romero once again. UFC 225 Betting Prediction: Whittaker via decision Rafael dos Anjos vs Colby Covington features one of the best strikers in UFC (in dos Anjos) against a fighter who did a number on Demian Maia when they met, thanks to Covington’s fighting style. However, dos Anjos is better in cardio, and he also has the wrestling skill to keep Covington honest for five rounds. Dos Anjos will use a series of body shots and low kicks to deliver punishment to Covington all night, and if he can’t finish him early, he will win in points on the cards. UFC 225 Betting Prediction: dos Anjos via decision Holly Holm vs Megan Anderson gives is a promotion debutante with four straight wins in the Invicta FC — all via knockout or TKO — in Megan Anderson, who has both accuracy and power in her striking. However, she will face the biggest talent of her career when she faces Holm, who has stand-up fighting talent that none of Anderson’s Invicta opponents have brought. Holm has dropped four of five bouts, though, and she will struggle to get Anderson through five rounds and to the cards. UFC 225 Betting Prediction: Anderson via knockout Curtis Blaydes vs Alistair Overeem pits a fighter coming off yet another big knockout loss in Overeem against a striker who has yet to live up to his potential in Blaydes. Blaydes does have a lot of talent, but he has yet to do anything in the ring to validate that promise. Overeem will be just about impossible to take down if Blaydes doesn’t elevate his game, and the fact that Overeem comes in as an underdog makes him a value pick for me. UFC 225 Betting Prediction: Overeem via decision