UFC 313 Odds and Prediction – Can Pereira Hold Off Ankalev?

• Alex Pereira (-117)
• Magomed Ankalev (-103)

Outside of a loss to Israel Adesanya in their middleweight title rematch in April 2023, Pereira (12-2) has been unstoppable inside the Octagon! He is arguably the most exciting fighter in the UFC right now as you know Pereira’s kickboxing style will yield fireworks. “Poatan” absolutely pummeled Khalil Rountree Jr. in October 2024.

But Ankalev (19-1-1, 1 NC) might be his toughest opponent yet. He is also a very skilled striker, and he leans less on his grappling than other Dagestani fighters, such as Khabib Nurmagomedov and current UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. However, Ankalev can wrestle and tire out Pereira in the clinch.

It’s tough to bet against Pereira, so I’m not going to do it, although Ankalev is a really dangerous underdog. Considering he was at +105 on February 27, and moved to +102 the next day at online sportsbooks, UFC 313 odds might be thinking the same thing about Ankalev. He is now at -103 the day before the fight!

But Pereira has shown the ability to take punishment and come back, outside of the one Adesanya loss. I’ll back the champion to keep the momentum rolling.

• Justin Gaethje (+133)
• Rafael Fiziev (-155)

The UFC 313 odds for this fight come from Bovada after it was announced Fiziev (12-3) would replace the injured Hooker for a rematch against Gaethje.

Gaethje (25-5) returns to action after his stunning loss of the BMF title to Max Holloway in April 2024. He was knocked out with one second left in the fight while swinging for the fences.

“The Highlight” will likely be more patient in this one, but it’ll be interesting to see if Fiziev starts to press. He’s been out of action since a knee injury in a loss to Mateusz Gamrot in September 2023. Gaethje is a tough competitor to return to the Octagon to.

Gaethje won the first fight by majority decision as one judge scored it as a draw. Fiziev got out to a fast start, but Gaethje made some adjustments.

Interestingly, he ended the final round with the first takedown of his career. It was a close match, but I’m taking Gaethje to use his guile and avoid the kicks that hurt him in the first fight. His opponent has been out for a while and took the bout on a short notice, so Gaethje should have the upper hand, despite being the underdog.

At +133, let’s take Gaethje’s UFC 313 odds at UFC betting sites.

• Jalin Turner (+105)
• Ignacio Bahamondes (-125)

I’m back to Bovada for the UFC 313 odds on this lightweight tussle, and there wasn’t much between Turner (14-8) and Bahamondes (16-5), according to the early lines. They were both at -110 on February 28, but Bahamondes has edged into the lead as the favorite at -125 the day before UFC 313.

Bahamondes has won his last two fights by TKO and KO, while Turner has lost three of his last four, although two of those were close split decisions. This bout was spoken into existence by MMA reporter Aaron Bronsteter three years ago.

Book Jalin Turner vs. Ignacio Bahamondes, because I need that in my life.

— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) March 6, 2022

This is a massive fight for both because Turner could be in danger of losing his UFC contract with another loss. Meanwhile, Bahamondes will likely break into the 155-pound rankings with a victory. Turner, known as “The Tarantula”, has a ton of knockout power and is athletic, but he can’t seem to put it all together against high-level opposition.

Unfortunately for him, Bahamondes might be a better striker, as he combines technique with KO power. It feels like Turner is on the way down, while his opponent is going in the opposite direction. I’m taking “La Jaula” to pick Turner off and move into the top 15 of the UFC rankings.

• Amanda Lemos (+115)
• Iasmin Lucindo (-135)

I’ll finish it off at Bovada with this intriguing women’s strawweight bout. Lemos (14-4) had her shot at champion Zhang Weili, losing to the champ by unanimous decision in August 2023. Lucindo (17-5) has won four in a row, and a win would put her in the title-fight conversation.

Iasmin Lucindo put the squeeze on her! 💪#UFCVegas78 pic.twitter.com/Tr0lR04sHV

— UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) August 13, 2023

Lucindo is going to try to take this fight to the mat, although she has shown the ability to strike in wins against Karolina Kowalkiewicz and Marina Rodriguez. Lemos will want to keep this fight standing up, but Lucindo has plenty of energy at 23 years old. Lemos is 37, and may be on the decline.

I think Lucindo has more avenues to a victory here, and the UFC would love to push her up the rankings. I’m taking Iasmin Lucindo at -135 for these UFC 313 odds!