UFC 247: Derrick Lewis vs. Ilir Latifi Pick
Ready for Lewis vs. Latifi Free UFC 247 Free Picks and betting odds & predictions? Here is a full breakdown of the leadup, what to expect during the fight, and some logical outcomes.
Event: UFC 247 Free Picks
Date: February 8th, 2020
Time: Main Card: 10 P.M. EST.
Location: Toyota Center, Houston, TX
Broadcast: PPV on ESPN+
Derrick Lewis (-250) vs. Ilir Latifi (+200)
Lewis and Latifi will kick off the main card of UFC 247, the second UFC pay per view event of 2020, on February 8th in a three round heavyweight bout.
Lewis struck gold at UFC 229 when he knocked out Alexander Volkov with just seconds remaining and would’ve lost if it went to decision. He earned himself a 50,000 dollar bonus and built a loyal following with his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan.
He then earned a title shot against Daniel Cormier not even one month after his UFC 229 bout. Cormier outclassed him for the entirety of the fight, which only lasted a few minutes into the second round before Cormier submitted Lewis.
Lewis then earned a main event slot on an ESPN+ card against Junior Dos Santos, where he was again outclassed and lost via second round TKO.
His most recent fight was against Blagoy Ivanov at UFC 244, where we saw a thinner, faster version of Lewis. He did the damn thing and looked damn good doing it. He won by split decision, although most of the public believed he won by a wide margin.
This will be Ilir Latifi’s UFC heavyweight debut. When his move to heavyweight was announced, it had many concerned as Latifi was small for the light heavyweight division.
Latifi is on a two fight losing streak, losing to Corey Anderson at UFC 232 and then most recently was knocked out in August by Volkan Oezdemir. He will look to gain some momentum at heavyweight in the hopes to avoid losing three consecutive fights.
As for the fight, there is so many ways it can go. Lewis will undoubtedly try to keep this fight on the feet, which favors him. On the other hand, we don’t know how Latifi will hold up on the feet with the extra weight. Latifi is the far superior wrestler and if he can bring this fight to the mat, it heavily favors him. Lewis has had problems with wrestlers in the past and I think Latifi plays this fight as safe as possible as this is a must win.
Rizz’s MMA Betting Trends/Statistics
- Lewis is 6-2 SU as a favorite throughout his UFC career
- Latifi is 2-3 SU as an underdog throughout his UFC career
- Lewis’ last fight went the distance. Throughout his career, never has he went to points in consecutive fights.
- Latifi has never lost after losing his previous fight by stoppage
MMA Betting UFC 247 Free Pick: It’s Complicated
The value lies with Latifi and as a +200 underdog with the superior wrestling, that is appealing. It is hard to ignore how good Lewis looked in his last fight, though. Here is the thing; if you think Latifi wins, take Latifi by points. If you like Lewis, take Lewis by KO/TKO. Once the odds come out on those props, check my twitter @RizzMMA for an official pick.