Jared Cannonier vs. Sean Strickland is the main event for UFC Fight Night betting tonight from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
This should be a banger between a pair of Top-10 middleweights headlining the final UFC event of 2022. UFC odds opened with Cannonier as a slim +100 underdog, but money has since made him the betting chalk.
Here are my best free UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Strickland picks and predictions for December 17.
Cannonier vs Strickland method of victory odds
| Method of Victory | Jared Cannonier | Sean Strickland |
|---|---|---|
| To win by KO/TKO | +300 | +400 |
| To win by Points | +300 | +220 |
| To win by Submission | +1,300 | +1,100 |
| Draw | +5,000 | +5,000 |
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook on December 14, 2022.
Cannonier vs Strickland picks
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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Cannonier vs Strickland betting preview
Jared "Tha Killa Gorilla" Cannonier is the No. 3 ranked middleweight contender. He is coming off an unsuccessful title challenge where he was picked apart by Israel Adesanya in a decision loss.
Cannonier is still an impressive 5-2 since moving to the middleweight division, with those defeats coming against Adesanya and Robert Whittaker, who are among the best pound-for-pound fighters on the planet.
The "Killa Gorilla" began his UFC career as a 241-pound heavyweight but he soon dropped down to light heavyweight, where he went 2-3. His power has really shined in this smaller division, with four of his five wins coming by way of KO/TKO.
The 38-year-old is an explosive striker with dynamite in his hands, and he likes to set up his powerful combinations by attacking the lead leg of his foes.
Sean "Tarzan" Strickland is at No. 7 in the middleweight rankings, and he's fresh off a first-round knockout loss to current champ Alex Pereira. That snapped a six-fight winning streak for Strickland, who has beaten respectable opponents like Jack Hermansson, Uriah Hall, and Brendan Allen.
Tarzan suffered a brutal motorcycle accident in 2018 but returned to the octagon after two years of rehab and moved up to the middleweight division, where he surged up the rankings.
The 31-year-old is a high-volume striker with crisp technical boxing. He has grown in popularity due to his aggressiveness in the octagon and his outspoken personality outside of it.
Cannonier vs Strickland tale of the tape
| Jared Cannonier | Sean Strickland | |
|---|---|---|
| 38 | Age | 31 |
| 5-foot-11 | Height | 6-foot-1 |
| 185 lbs | Weight | 185 lbs |
| 77.5 inches | Reach | 76 inches |
| 15-6 (10 KO) | Record | 25-4 (10 KO) |
Cannonier vs Strickland UFC prediction and best bet
Our prediction is compiled from the analysis of the fighters and is an indication of who we are leaning with to win this bout.
Our best bet is the play that we like the most for this fight or where the most value lies, and is where we would put some of our bankroll behind.
Prediction: Cannonier ML
Strickland has improved as a grappler, but he's not effective enough in his wrestling to implement it against a powerful guy like Cannonier, who has a strong takedown defense.
That will likely keep this fight standing up, and while Strickland throws with more volume, his style and Cannonier's superior power could be the difference maker. Strickland pressures his opponents and moves in a straight line, while his boxing style tends to make him heavy on his front leg.
That doesn't bode well for his success against Cannonier, who loves to attack the lead leg with low kicks and has knockout power with his hooks and uppercuts.
Prediction: Cannonier moneyline (-110 at bet365)
Best bet: Cannonier by KO/TKO
There's value in backing Cannonier on the moneyline even if you didn't get him at the opening line. However, there's even more value in taking him to win by knockout, which you can get at +300.
Keep in mind that five of his last six wins have been by knockout and the lone decision victory during that span came against the granite-chinned Kelvin Gastelum, who he still knocked down in the third round.
Despite Strickland's strong fundamental boxing, he can be inconsistent with his head movement off the center line. And while he's a tough fighter, he has been knocked out by both Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos and Pereira.
While Pereira is the hardest hitter in this division, Cannonier might be next on that shortlist and Strickland lasting 25 minutes in a slugfest with him seems far more unlikely than these odds suggest.
Pick: Cannonier by KO/TKO (+300 at FanDuel)
