Picking a Winner at UFC 213 Fight Pass Prelims

Rob Font vs. Douglas Silva de Andrade

UFC 213 Main Card –  Bantamweight Bout

Normally the quality of fights starts to decrease as we approach the Fight Pass Prelims, but that’s not the case here at UFC 213!

Rob Font, who is 12-1 through his last thirteen fights, will be looking to begin another winning streak after defeating Matt Schnell at The Ultimate Fighter 24 Finale in December. Font looked excellent against Schnell and defeated him via KO/TKO in the first round. Font’s one loss through this period? A defeat at the hands of John Lineker at UFC 198.

Douglas Silva de Andrade is coming off a ‘Performance of the Night’ award winning performance against Enrique Briones at UFC Fight Night 98. Silva de Andrade swung a forceful spinning back-fist into the head of Briones and dropped him to the mat. For some reason, this knockout didn’t get as much respect as it probably deserved.

The Breakdown

Rob Font is extremely sharp. He fights long and moves well around the octagon, too. Font’s opponents often have trouble tracking him and when they find their range, it’s often after Font has landed damaging shots first.

Douglas Silva de Andrade moves in-and-out with speed and closes the distance very fast. His strikes are unpredictable and wild. Unlike Rob Font, who has a fairly technical sound striking game. Silva de Andrade is extremely dangerous when opponents move forward into his range, something Rob Font won’t have to do.

Prediction and Betting Strategy

Overall, I believe that Rob Font is a level above Douglas Silva de Andrade. Andrade is incredibly tough, though, so Font will have a hard time getting him out of the octagon before the fifteen minutes are up. I’ll be backing Rob Font by decision.

Thiago Santos vs. Gerald Meerschaert

UFC 213 Main Card –  Middleweight Bout

Thiago Santos recently finished a two-round war with Jack Marshman in February. Santos picked up a ‘Performance of the Night’ after his devastating spinning wheel kick that landed flush on the head of Marshman. It was a much-needed win for Santos, who had previously lost to unranked opponent Eric Spicely in September 2016 after entering the fight as an 1.13Bet €100 to win €11313/100Bet £100 to win £113-769Bet $100 to win $1130.13Bet HK$100 to win HK$113-7.69Bet Rp100 to win Rp1130.1300Bet RM100 to win RM113  betting favourite.

Gerald Meerschaert is relatively new to the UFC with just two fights in the organisation. But don’t let that fool you, Meerschaert has a total of 34 fights to his name and has won 19 of these by the way of submission.  He’s looked impressive in his start with the UFC, locking an anaconda choke on Joe Gigliotti before defeating Ryan Janes with an armbar. There is no doubt, however, that Thiago Santos is Meerschaert’s biggest test to date.

The Breakdown

Meerschaert is calm, calculated and seemingly always in control. He seems to have an answer for everything, whether it be on the feet or on the mat. On his back, he’s a submission threat and actively works for submissions or to get back to his feet. His fight intelligence is off the charts.

How will this controlled approach work against Thiago Santos, though? Santos is a monster and is one of the biggest middleweight’s out there. He also pushes an extremely fast pace and throws punches with destructive power.

Meerschaert will need to force Santos backwards and make his back touch the cage. From here, Meerschaert can either choose his strikes or look to take Santos down to the mat. However, both of these positions aren’t a clear advantage for Meerschaert and I’d probably give Santos the edge in both areas of the game.

Prediction and Betting Strategy

Despite Santos being physically stronger and a little more dangerous than Meerschaert, I’m going to be betting Meerschaert because I love the way he goes about fighting. His intelligence and composure should help him outlast Santos, who seems to stray from his corners gameplan often. Meerschaert by KO/TKO or Submission

Best Bets

Rob Font vs. Douglas Silva de Andrade
Rob Font by decision
Saturday 8th July – 7:30 pm (ET) /  11:30pm GMT
Odds: 2.63Bet €100 to win €263163/100Bet £100 to win £263+163Bet $100 to win $2631.63Bet HK$100 to win HK$2631.63Bet Rp100 to win Rp263-0.6135Bet RM100 to win RM263  – Bet365

Thiago Santos vs. Gerald Meerschaert
Meerschaert by KO/TKO or Submission
Saturday 8th July – 7:00 pm (ET) /  11:00pm GMT
Odds: 2.63Bet €100 to win €263163/100Bet £100 to win £263+163Bet $100 to win $2631.63Bet HK$100 to win HK$2631.63Bet Rp100 to win Rp263-0.6135Bet RM100 to win RM263  – Bet365