UFC 308 Prelim Picks & Predictions: Neal Outlasts Dos Anjos

UFC 308 takes place this weekend at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi and is headlined by Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway.

The preliminary card is also high on drama as Rafael Dos Anjos faces off against Geoff Neal and Father Time, and my UFC 308 preliminary predictions expect Neal to prevail on October 26.

UFC 308 prelim picks and predictions

Ibo Aslan vs. Raffael Cerqueira
• Prediction: Aslan ML (-105 at Bet99)
• Best Bet: Aslan by KO (+140 at Bet99)

Abus Magomedov vs. Brunno Ferreira
• Prediction: Ferreira ML (+115 at Bet99)
• Best Bet: Ferreira by KO (+250 at Bet99)

Geoff Neal vs. Rafael Dos Anjos
• Prediction: Neal ML (-310 at Bet99)
• Best Bet: Neal by decision (+110 at Bet99)

Click on each fight to jump to the full analysis.

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UFC 308 prelim odds and picks

Ibo Aslan vs. Raffael Cerqueira fight odds

Method of Victory	Aslan	Cerqueira
To win outright	+100	-125
To win by KO/TKO	+145	+160
To win by decision	+900	+900
To win by submission	+1,900	+700
Draw	+2,500	+2,500

Odds as of 10-25.

Aslan is a crude but powerful striker who might not amount to much aside from entertaining filler, but he's far more proven than Cerqueira.

While Cerqueira comes into this fight with an 11-0 record, he's built it against terrible regional opposition in Brazil, and he's in for a rude awakening that might have him hop on the next plane back to Sao Paolo. 

Aslan will bring the fight right to Cerqueira, and his heavy strikes should lead to an early stoppage.

Prediction: Aslan moneyline (-105 at Bet99)
Best Bet: Aslan by knockout (+140 at Bet99)

Abus Magomedov vs Brunno Ferreira fight odds

Method of Victory	Magomedov	Ferreira
To win outright	-145	+115
To win by KO/TKO	+215	+250
To win by decision	+500	+640
To win by submission	+440	+875
Draw	+2,500	+2,500

Odds as of 10-25.

Unfortunately for Magomedov, he hasn't displayed the "Dagestani magic" taking over the UFC. He's struggled thus far, being dominated by Caio Borralho and knocked out by Sean Strickland in his biggest tests while only managing wins against lesser competition. 

Ferreira, on the other hand, is an explosive striker who fights with reckless abandon, often putting himself at risk for a knockout while chasing one of his own. 

While Magomedov has some decent skills, I haven't seen anything to suggest Ferreira will have trouble closing the distance and landing a big shot to put him away.

Prediction: Ferreira moneyline (-105 at Bet99)
Best Bet: Ferreira by knockout (+250 at Bet99)

Geoff Neal vs Rafael Dos Anjos fight odds

Method of Victory	Neal	Dos Anjos
To win outright	-310	+230
To win by KO/TKO	+220	+2,000
To win by decision	+100	+425
To win by submission	+2,000	+875
Draw	+2,500	+2,500

Odds as of 10-25.

This fight between a seasoned veteran and a former champion may not have major implications for the division, but it's an intriguing matchup nonetheless.

Dos Anjos has bounced between lightweight and welterweight with mixed results, and it’s becoming increasingly clear he's fading fast, as evidenced by his recent losses to Mateusz Gamrot and Vicente Luque. 

On the other hand, Neal is still capable of putting on solid performances against tough opponents, even though he’s dropped his last two fights to Shavkat Rakhmonov and Ian Garry.

While Neal isn’t going to make a run against the welterweight elite, he’s still capable and can’t be faulted for falling short against two potential title contenders. This version of Dos Anjos, on the other hand, doesn’t have much left to give aside from being able to take a beating and still go the distance.

Prediction: Neal moneyline (-105 at Bet99)
Best Bet: Neal to win by decision (-105 at Bet99)

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