UFC on ESPN: Smith vs. Clark Betting Preview

Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis were slated to square off in the main event of this Saturday’s UFC card. However, that fight had to be called off as Blaydes tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday, throwing this promotion into commotion. The new headline event will pit Anthony ‘Lionheart’ Smith against Devin ‘Brown Bear’ Clark in a showdown of top light heavyweights. Smith is ranked No. 6 in the UFC rankings, while Clark is unranked, but Smith is only a slight favorite per the UFC betting odds.

This week’s promotion will be held at UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. The prelims for UFC 255 will kick off at 7 p.m. ET, and the main event is slated to start at 10 p.m. ET. All the action will be available exclusively on ESPN2 and through ESPN+.

UFC on ESPN: Smith vs. Clark Betting Odds

Anthony Smith -125

Devin Clark +105

Smith was one of the hottest fighters in the world two years ago. He won three straight bouts after moving to light heavyweight, defeating Rashad Evans and Shogun Rua by first-round knockout and Volkan Oezdemir by third-round submission. That led to a title fight with Jon Jones, but he lost by unanimous decision even though Jones was deducted two points for an illegal knee.

He won a Performance of the Night bonus for his submission of Alexander Gustafsson last July, but he suffered a big setback with his TKO loss at the hands of veteran Glover Teixeira in May. Smith suffered another loss with a unanimous decision defeat at the hands of Aleksander Rakic in August, so he needs a win on Saturday.

Clark has won two straight fights. He is 6-3 at light heavyweight in the UFC, but he isn’t the most exciting draw. All six of his wins have come by unanimous decision, and his most recent victory was against former CFL star Alonzo Menifield. Menifield isn’t known for his endurance, as we saw in his loss to Ovince Saint Preux in September, and Clark doesn’t have any real impressive wins. That makes Smith an excellent value for a headline fight.

Josh Parisian -200

Parker Porter +170

This will be Parisian’s UFC debut. He is a promising up and comer that won six straight fights before making the jump to the top tier of MMA. Parisian has four inches of height and reach on Porter, so he has two definite advantages coming into Saturday’s showdown.

As for Porter, he is just 10-6 in his MMA career. He lost his UFC debut to Chris Daukaus at UFC 252, and he is looking to get back in the ring. Only one of his 16 bouts has been decided by decision, so you can expect this one to end before the final bell.

Takashi Sato +145

Miguel Baeza -170

Baeza has yet to lose in his pro career. He is 9-0 with seven knockouts, and he has knocked out both his opponents since joining the UFC last October. He has a big size advantage over other welterweights at 6’2, and Takashi Sato is giving up four inches to Baeza.

Sato has long arms for someone that is 5’10, and he is only giving up 1.5 inches in reach to Baeza. He also has a lot more experience than his opponent and is known for his physicality. We have seen Sato secure 11 of his 16 wins by knockout over his career, so he is an intriguing option as a moderately priced underdog.

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