UFC Vegas 49: Makhachev vs. Green Odds, Schedule, Predictions

Bobby Green will endeavor to have the best two-week stretch of his MMA career in the main event of UFC Vegas 49 from the UFC's APEX Facility against Islam Makhachev. 

The main event for the card was nearly ruined when Beneil Dariush was forced to withdraw from the card with a leg injury. 

Fortunately, Green was willing to step up and take a short-notice fight just two weeks after beating Nasrat Haqparast on the undercard of UFC 271. If Green was able to pull off the win, it would be two victories in as many weeks and a huge boost to his profile in the division. 

That won't be an easy task, though. Makhachev is not someone to be taken lightly, and he's a rising star in the division. He hasn't lost since 2015 and most recently submitted Dan Hooker in the first round. 

Here's a look at the complete card and predictions for the biggest fights of the night, including this intriguing main event. 

Main Card (ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET)

• Islam Makhachev (-800, bet $800 to win $100) vs. Bobby Green (+550, bet $100 to win $550)
• Misha Cirkunov (-135) vs. Wellington Turman (+115)
• Ji Yeon Kim (-160) vs. Priscila Cachoeira (+140)
• Arman Tsarukyan (-255) vs. Joel Alvarez (+205)
• Armen Petrosyan (+140) vs. Gregory Rodrigues (-160)

Preliminary Card (ESPN+ at 4 p.m. ET)

• Rong Zhu (+170) vs. Ignacio Bahamondes (-200)
• Josiane Nunes (-210) vs. Ramona Pascual (+175)
• Terrance McKinney (-105) vs. Fares Ziam (-115)
• Alejandro Perez (+225) vs. Jonathan Martinez (-280)
• Ramiz Brahimaj (-365) vs. Micheal Gillmore (+280)
• Victor Altamirano (+125) vs. Carlos Hernandez (-145)

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

The lightweight main event essentially boils down to a classic striker vs. grappler matchup. Bobby Green can wrestle. But comparing his grappling to Makhachev's would be akin to saying that both Draymond Green and Steph Curry can shoot threes. 

Green has the ability to wrestle, but it isn't what his game is built on. Instead, his boxing can give opponents fits, and he supplements that with his wrestling when the situation calls for it. 

Makhachev, on the other hand, lives to drag his opponents to the mat. He averages 3.4 takedowns per 15 minutes and utilizes a great submission game once he gets the fight where he wants it. 

The question then becomes whether Green's boxing is enough to offset Makhachev's wrestling. Green put on a clinic at UFC 271, outstriking Haqparast 188-76, per UFC Stats. 

The more likely scenario is that Green's takedown defense isn't up to this task. That could lead to a game of survival on the mat as he tries not to get submitted. 

Prediction: Makhachev via second-round submission

The middleweight co-main event is a crucial fight for both fighters involved. Both Misha Cirkunov and Wellington Turman are quickly losing ground in their hunt for relevance in the division. 

So this bout is less about who wins and more about who loses. Cirkunov has dropped back-to-back fights against Krzysztof Jotko and Ryan Spann, and his record is worse if you go back a little farther. He is just 2-5 in his last seven fights. 

Turman is only slightly better at this point. He took a split decision from Sam Alvey last time out that ended a two-fight skid. He's 2-3 in his five UFC fights. 

There's a little more hope for Turman from a career standpoint. He's only 25 years old and could get better. The problem here is this isn't a good matchup for him. He's at his best as a grappler. He has seven submission wins to his name and is 10-5 in fights that don't end with him submitting his opponent. 

Cirkunov is the much bigger fighter. He'll have a three-inch height advantage and five-inch reach advantage to work with in the striking. That's bad news for a fighter in Turman who essentially has to get it to the ground. 

Prediction: Cirkunov via second-round TKO

Ji Yeon Kim and Priscila Cachoeira find themselves on the main card, and that's likely because of two factors. For starters, both prefer to stand up and fight it out on the feet. Neither woman has landed a takedown in their career. 

The second is that every women's flyweight fight carries some importance considering the lack of fighters in the division. 

Although both are strikers, they bring different approaches to it. Kim is a stereotypical boxer. She's going to set a pace behind her jabs and straights that has allowed her to average five significant strikes per minute, per UFC Stats. 

Cachoeira doesn't bring the same volume to the table, but she has more power in her hands. Six of her 10 career wins have come by way of knockout, including her last two wins over Gina Mazany and Shana Dobson. 

So the question is whether Cachoeira catches Kim with a good enough shot to put her down over the course of three rounds. Kim doesn't have the power to back her opponent down here, so it's going to be a risky proposition every time she engages. 

Prediction: Cachoeira via first-round TKO

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