It’s young vs. old at UFC Fight Night, and our Magny vs. Morales predictions don’t think expereience will serve the underdog well on Saturday night.
Michael Morales vs. Neil Magny is a welterweight fight featured on this weekend’s UFC Fight Night undercard, and one of our featured events for UFC betting.
Morales is taking a step up in class against the fading, yet capable Magny, and will look to pass the biggest test of his career with flying colors.
UFC odds have Morales as a -850 favorite and Magny as a +525 underdog. Here are my best free UFC Fight Night: Morales vs. Magny predictions from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Magny vs Morales prediction and pick
Fight analysis
There is a lot of buzz around Morales, and he’ll have a chance to validate the hopes of those who believe he’s on his way to becoming a major player in the welterweight division when he faces Magny.
The 26-year-old Tijuana native possesses great offensive tools and does a little bit of everything, not to mention that he has great movement, solid fight IQ, and good conditioning. Magny has been the division’s truthmaker for a long time, and while he can still give anyone a bad night, he’s starting to slow down and take advantage of counter-attacks.
It’s becoming more common for Magny to rely on his opponents’ mistakes to win fights, which is a clear sign of his decline.
To his credit, he still knows when to capitalize on those mistakes and makes the most of those opportunities, but Morales is no seek-and-destroy prospect looking to collect the scalp of Old Man Magny. Morales darts in and out of range, moves fluidly, and doesn’t put himself in a bad position for the sake of offense.
Though the record shows that while Magny is 2-3 over his last five fights, he was dangerously close to being 0-5. His recent win over Mike Mallot and a previous submission win over Daniel Rodriguez saw Magny getting worked over until they started to fatigue, allowing him a chance to get back into the fight and win it.
His split decision over Phil Rowe was also more of Rowe’s fault for not sticking to striking, giving Magny a chance to out-wrestle him and avoid defeat. It’s clear that Magny is unable to handle sharp strikers, and he’ll struggle with Morales’ movement and athleticism.
Morales is still developing, and there is a chance that Magny could exploit some gaps in his game, particularly because he’s the best fighter the young lion has faced thus far.
Those would likely come on his takedown defense and ground game, which Morales can neutralize with his movement and by throwing punishing leg kicks to drag the slowing Magny down to a crawl. I’m going with Morales
Best best analysis
Even if Magny does try to make it ugly, Morales has successfully defended almost all the takedowns attempted on him, and Magny must absorb a fair share of strikes in hopes that he can pin him down to begin with.
I don’t see much of a chance for Magny. Morales will be too sharp, fast, and strong, and he doesn’t overcommit or make the kind of mistakes that can give Magny hope. Morales by decision is the pick.
Neil Magny vs Michael Morales odds
 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Method of Victory | Magny | Morales |
| To win outright | +600 | -850 |
| To win by KO/TKO | +2,700 | +205 |
| To win by decision | +975 | -120 |
| To win by submission | +3,350 | +475 |
| Draw | +2,500 | +2,500 |
Odds as of 8-22.
Bet on the UFC at BET99!
One of Canada’s best sportsbooks for UFC betting, join BET99 and get a 100% match on your first deposit of up to $1,000 when using BET99 promo code COVERSBONUS!
*Not available in Ontario
Neil Magny vs Michael Morales tale of the tape
| Magny | Morales | |
|---|---|---|
| 37 | Age | 25 |
| 6-foot-3 | Height | 6-feet |
| 170 lbs | Weight | 170 lbs |
| 80 inches | Reach | 79 inches |
| 29-12-0 | Record | 16-0 |
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
