UFC Fight Night: Jessica Andrade vs Erin Blanchfield Predictions, Odds, and Picks (Feb 18)
- Jessica Andrade to fight for the second time in four weeks.
- Jordan Wright hoping to end his 0-3 losing streak.
- Jim Miller looking for his 25th UFC win.
The UFC is coming back to Vegas’ Apex Centre this weekend.
Jump to:
- Women’s Flyweight: Jessica Andrade vs Erin Blanchfield
- Light Heavyweight: Jordan Wright vs Zac Pauga
- Heavyweight: Josh Parisian vs Jamal Pogues
- Light Heavyweight: William Knight vs Marcin Prachnio
- Lightweight: Jim Miller vs Alexander Hernandez
Jessica Andrade vs Erin Blanchfield is the main event of the evening, while there are another five fights on the main card.
Schedule and How to Watch:
- Where: UFC Apex, Enterprise, Nevada
- When: Saturday, February 18, 2023, at 10 p.m ET
- How to Watch: ESPN+ / UFC Fight Pass
UFC Fight Night Predictions
Jessica Andrade vs Erin Blanchfield
Four weeks after destroying Lauren Murphy, Jessica Andrade is fighting again. She stepped in after Taila Santos pulled out of the main event of UFC Fight Night 219. Despite having just about a week to prepare for the fight with Blanchfield, Andrade is still seen as a strong favorite.
The reason is that the former UFC Strawweight champ is one of the best female fighters on the planet. She is 24-9 overall, with almost all of her losses coming against champions and top contenders.
In her return to flyweight, she demolished Murphy in a fight that many believe should’ve been stopped. It happened less than a month ago, meaning that she’s still in top shape. Sure, she hasn’t had much time to analyze her next opponent, which explains why Andrade’s odds aren’t even shorter. Priced at -153 at BetOnline, Andrade looks like a bet that mustn’t be missed.
Pick:
Jordan Wright vs Zac Pauga
Jordan Wright is 12-4-1 overall, but each of his four defeats happened within the last five fights. Each time, he lost within the distance, here times by KO/TKO and once by submission. To be fair to the guy, each of those losses happened to a great fighter – Joaquin Buckley, Bruno Silva, Marca-Andre Barriault, and Dusko Todorovic.
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This Saturday, Wright has a seemingly easier job on his hands. He’s fighting ex-cop Zac Pauga, who’s 5-1 overall with a 0-1 record in the UFC.
Pick:
Josh Parisian vs Jamal Pogues
Jamal Pogues is a Dana White Contender Series alumnus who earned his UFC contract last year after beating Pauulo Renato Jr. by a unanimous decision. Before that, he fought in LFA and many other promotions, winning most of his fights. His record is 9-3, and he’s seen as the favorite in Saturday’s bout.
Oddsmakers have faith in Pogues, but we have to disagree with them. Josh Parisian is a fine fighter with a 15-5 record, as well as decent UFC experience. He joined the promotion in 2020 and is 2-2 since. This guy loves finishing his fights by KO/TKO, which is no surprise for a light heavyweight.
His biggest weakness is takedown defense (42%), which is something that needs to worry him. Pogues will almost certainly try to take him down, which is why Parisian will have to try to outbox him or, preferably, beat him by KO.
Pick:
William Knight vs Marcin Prachnio
If UFC odds could talk, they’d say this is going to be a very close fight. Both William Knight and Marcin Prachnio are powerful heavyweights with a nuclear option in their fists. Knight is 11-4 overall with nine wins by knockout/technical knockout. Prachnio is 15-6 with 11 wins by KO/TKO.
They’re very similar fighters, but Prachnio has one major advantage – he’s fought against better fighters than his next opponent.
Pick:
Jim Miller vs Alexander Hernandez
Now a 39-year-old, Jim Miller is a true legend of the UFC, the man with the most wins in this promotion. He’s got 24 wins in the UFC, while he’s 35-16-1 overall. Most of his wins happened by submission (19), while in recent times, Miller’s been great boxing-wise.
Originally, Miller was supposed to fight Gabriel BenÃtez, but he was replaced by Alexander Hernandez. His new opponent is 13-6 in his professional career with five of his six losses happening in the UFC. He’s 0-2 in his last two fights, but oddsmakers think his poor run ends on Saturday. This time, we have to agree with them.
Pick:
