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F1 Drivers’ Championship: Updated standings after Max Verstappen wins Las Vegas

F1 Drivers’ Championship: Updated standings after Max Verstappen wins Las Vegas

Max Verstappen’s win at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, coupled with disqualifications for both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, has rocked the top of the Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship standings.

Verstappen now sits just 24 points behind Norris, who remains the leader in the Drivers’ Championship race. But Verstappen has pulled level with Piastri in the standings, and remains alive in his pursuit of a fifth title.

Here is a look at the updated Drivers’ Championship standings, what changed at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, and what is on the line next weekend at the Qatar Grand Prix.

F1 Drivers’ Championship standings

Here is the updated F1 Drivers’ Championship table following the Las Vegas Grand Prix:

Position

Driver

Team

Points

Change

1 Lando Norris McLaren 390
2 Oscar Piastri McLaren 366
3 Max Verstappen Red Bull 366
4 George Russell Mercedes 294
5 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 226
6 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 152
7 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 137
8 Alexander Albon Williams 73
9 Isack Hadjar VCARB 51 +1
10 Nico Hülkenberg Sauber 49 -1
11 Carlos Sainz Jr. Williams 48 +2
12 Oliver Bearman Haas 41 -1
13 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 40 -1
14 Liam Lawson VCARB 36
16 Esteban Ocon Haas 32 +1
15 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 32 -1
17 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull 28
18 Pierre Gasly Alpine 22
19 Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber 19
20 Franco Colapinto Alpine 0
21 Jack Doohan Alpine 0

As noted at the outset, Verstappen is now tied with Piastri, and both drivers are 24 points behind Norris. Piastri remains ahead of Verstappen on the tiebreaker for now (Piastri has seven Grand Prix wins while Verstappen has six).

Norris also has seven Grand Prix wins this season.

Beyond the top three, results in Las Vegas led to some changes in the pecking order. Isack Hadjar finished sixth, one spot ahead of Nico Hülkenberg, and that moved him ahead of the Sauber driver for ninth in the standings. Carlos Sainz Jr. was qualified fifth after the disqualifications of Norris and Piastri, and he moved up two spots to 11th, jumping ahead of Oliver Bearman and Fernando Alonso.

And a ninth-place finish for Esteban Ocon pulled him even with Lance Stroll on points, but with Ocon’s fifth-place finish at the Chinese Grand Prix, the Haas driver wins the tiebreaker between the two.

What is at stake at the Qatar Grand Prix?

Next weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix is not only the penultimate race weekend of the 2025 F1 season, but it represents the final F1 Sprint weekend of the campaign.

Prior to the Las Vegas Grand Prix, there was a scenario where Norris could have clinched the title in the F1 Sprint race on Saturday. However, that scenario is now out the window.

Still, Norris could theoretically clinch his first Drivers’ Championship on Sunday.

Even if Norris were to win the F1 Sprint race in Qatar — while Piastri and Verstappen finished outside the points — he would have a 30-point lead over his two title rivals. A win in an F1 Sprint race is worth eight points. But with 50 points still available from the two remaining grands prix, he could not clinch.

But following the Qatar Grand Prix, there will be a maximum of 25 points available in the season finale to the driver who wins the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. This means that if he outscores both Piastri and Verstappen by at least two points each over the weekend in Qatar, Norris will clinch the 2025 F1 Drivers’ Championship.

The simplest way for Norris to clinch? Win both the F1 Sprint race and the Qatar Grand Prix. That would give him 33 points, and even if the same driver finished second in both, that driver would only pick up 25 points. Norris would have 423 points in this scenario, while the other driver would have 391.

If you would like to work through the various title permutations, RaceFans has a championship calculator you can use.

While that may be the cleanest way for Norris to clinch, nothing in this sport is easy.

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UFC Macau Best Bets and Fight Predictions for May 30 | Deadspin.com  Aug 7, 2021; Houston, Texas, USA; Song Yadong (red gloves) reacts to fight against Casey Kenney (blue gloves) during UFC 265 at Toyota Center. credits: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports   After a successful visit in November 2024 – which was their first in 10 years – the Octagon will land back in Macau, China, for UFC Macau on May 30.The main event will feature a bantamweight battle between China’s Song Yadong and Deiveson Figueiredo.Yadong has won three of his last five fights; however, he enters this bout off a loss to Sean O’Malley at UFC 324 in January. Figueiredo, meanwhile, is 4-3 since moving up to bantamweight. The former flyweight champion, however, has lost three of his last four, most recently falling to Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 324.The co-main event will feature Zhang Mingyang taking on Alonzo Menifield in light heavyweight action. Mingyang most recently fought in August at UFC Shanghai, losing to Johnny Walker. That loss was Mingyang’s first in the UFC and snapped a 12-fight win streak. Menifield has won five of his last eight but was most recently knocked out by Volkan Oezdemir at UFC Qatar in November.The UFC Macau main card will also feature Sergei Pavlovich vs. Tallison Teixeira, Kai Asakura vs. Cameron Smotherman, Jake Matthews vs. Carlston Harris, and Alex Perez vs. Su Mudaerji.SONG YADONG VS DEIVESON FIGUEIREDOIf there’s one thing to appreciate about Song Yadong, it’s his striking. With his Sanda foundation, Yadong has developed strong kickboxing skills, and he will look to use those to try and pressure Figueiredo into a war. Yadong has some strength to his strikes and has the cardio for a war; however, Figueiredo’s counterstriking can still be dangerous if he’s not careful.Figueiredo’s grappling can be a problem for Yadong if he’s not careful. He’ll have to make use of his takedown defense abilities (a 73% takedown defense rate, per UFC Stats) to avoid giving positioning and control, as well as submission opportunities, to Figueiredo. This should be a fight that lasts either way.BET: Yadong vs. Figueiredo to go the distance (Caesars: +100) Our Current Best OffersChannel debug: betting ZHANG MINGYANG VS ALONZO MENIFIELDAugust’s UFC Shanghai was supposed to be a coming-out party for Zhang Mingyang, who has proven himself to be a solid up-and-coming contender in the light heavyweight division. Mingyang, however, was finished solidly by Johnny Walker, halting Mingyang’s upward momentum. This fight gives Mingyang the chance to show he’s still got contender potential.Mingyang is the master of the first-round finish. Simply put, if Alonzo Menifield can be defensive and wear Mingyang down over the first round, he’s in a much stronger position to win. At 38 years old, however, it’s hard to imagine Menifield going five full minutes without getting tagged. And it’s hard to imagine Mingyang dropping a pair of consecutive fights, especially if he slugs the way he wants to.BET: Mingyang via KO/TKO in Round 1 (FanDuel: +160)  Our Current Best OffersChannel debug: betting KAI ASAKURA VS CAMERON SMOTHERMANThere were interesting options for a third best bet. As we’ve seen though, however, heavyweight fights can be volatile to pick, and some of the underdog plays on this card are a little harder to read. So, let’s talk about Kai Asakura.Asakura came into the UFC as a highly promoted talent and former RIZIN champion; however, he hasn’t lived up to the billing thus far. A loss to Alexandre Pantoja in a title fight in your UFC debut? Acceptable. Losing (with all due respect to him) to 39-year-old Tim Elliott in a fight Asaukra was a heavy favorite? Yikes. Now, Asakura moves up to bantamweight, hoping to show that a less drastic weight cut will do wonders for him – and he needs to hope this.Asakura has more experience and a stronger resume than his 12-6 opponent, Cameron Smotherman, who is 1-2 in the UFC. Asakura is the better all-around fighter, so the fight falls on him. The more he avoids a brawl and the better he is defensively, the stronger the chance he goes home with a win. A loss here, however, and it smells like the end of an insanely disappointing UFC run.BET: Asakura to win via KO/TKO OR decision (FanDuel: -240) Our Current Best OffersChannel debug: betting   #UFC #Macau #Bets #Fight #Predictions #Deadspin.comAug 7, 2021; Houston, Texas, USA; Song Yadong (red gloves) reacts to fight against Casey Kenney (blue gloves) during UFC 265 at Toyota Center. credits: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

After a successful visit in November 2024 – which was their first in 10 years – the Octagon will land back in Macau, China, for UFC Macau on May 30.

The main event will feature a bantamweight battle between China’s Song Yadong and Deiveson Figueiredo.

Yadong has won three of his last five fights; however, he enters this bout off a loss to Sean O’Malley at UFC 324 in January. Figueiredo, meanwhile, is 4-3 since moving up to bantamweight. The former flyweight champion, however, has lost three of his last four, most recently falling to Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 324.

The co-main event will feature Zhang Mingyang taking on Alonzo Menifield in light heavyweight action. Mingyang most recently fought in August at UFC Shanghai, losing to Johnny Walker. That loss was Mingyang’s first in the UFC and snapped a 12-fight win streak. Menifield has won five of his last eight but was most recently knocked out by Volkan Oezdemir at UFC Qatar in November.

The UFC Macau main card will also feature Sergei Pavlovich vs. Tallison Teixeira, Kai Asakura vs. Cameron Smotherman, Jake Matthews vs. Carlston Harris, and Alex Perez vs. Su Mudaerji.

SONG YADONG VS DEIVESON FIGUEIREDO

If there’s one thing to appreciate about Song Yadong, it’s his striking. With his Sanda foundation, Yadong has developed strong kickboxing skills, and he will look to use those to try and pressure Figueiredo into a war. Yadong has some strength to his strikes and has the cardio for a war; however, Figueiredo’s counterstriking can still be dangerous if he’s not careful.

Figueiredo’s grappling can be a problem for Yadong if he’s not careful. He’ll have to make use of his takedown defense abilities (a 73% takedown defense rate, per UFC Stats) to avoid giving positioning and control, as well as submission opportunities, to Figueiredo. This should be a fight that lasts either way.

BET: Yadong vs. Figueiredo to go the distance (Caesars: +100)

Our Current Best Offers

Channel debug: betting


ZHANG MINGYANG VS ALONZO MENIFIELD

August’s UFC Shanghai was supposed to be a coming-out party for Zhang Mingyang, who has proven himself to be a solid up-and-coming contender in the light heavyweight division. Mingyang, however, was finished solidly by Johnny Walker, halting Mingyang’s upward momentum. This fight gives Mingyang the chance to show he’s still got contender potential.

Mingyang is the master of the first-round finish. Simply put, if Alonzo Menifield can be defensive and wear Mingyang down over the first round, he’s in a much stronger position to win. At 38 years old, however, it’s hard to imagine Menifield going five full minutes without getting tagged. And it’s hard to imagine Mingyang dropping a pair of consecutive fights, especially if he slugs the way he wants to.

BET: Mingyang via KO/TKO in Round 1 (FanDuel: +160)

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Channel debug: betting

KAI ASAKURA VS CAMERON SMOTHERMAN

There were interesting options for a third best bet. As we’ve seen though, however, heavyweight fights can be volatile to pick, and some of the underdog plays on this card are a little harder to read. So, let’s talk about Kai Asakura.

Asakura came into the UFC as a highly promoted talent and former RIZIN champion; however, he hasn’t lived up to the billing thus far. A loss to Alexandre Pantoja in a title fight in your UFC debut? Acceptable. Losing (with all due respect to him) to 39-year-old Tim Elliott in a fight Asaukra was a heavy favorite? Yikes. Now, Asakura moves up to bantamweight, hoping to show that a less drastic weight cut will do wonders for him – and he needs to hope this.

Asakura has more experience and a stronger resume than his 12-6 opponent, Cameron Smotherman, who is 1-2 in the UFC. Asakura is the better all-around fighter, so the fight falls on him. The more he avoids a brawl and the better he is defensively, the stronger the chance he goes home with a win. A loss here, however, and it smells like the end of an insanely disappointing UFC run.

BET: Asakura to win via KO/TKO OR decision (FanDuel: -240)

Our Current Best Offers

Channel debug: betting

#UFC #Macau #Bets #Fight #Predictions #Deadspin.com">UFC Macau Best Bets and Fight Predictions for May 30 | Deadspin.com  Aug 7, 2021; Houston, Texas, USA; Song Yadong (red gloves) reacts to fight against Casey Kenney (blue gloves) during UFC 265 at Toyota Center. credits: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports   After a successful visit in November 2024 – which was their first in 10 years – the Octagon will land back in Macau, China, for UFC Macau on May 30.The main event will feature a bantamweight battle between China’s Song Yadong and Deiveson Figueiredo.Yadong has won three of his last five fights; however, he enters this bout off a loss to Sean O’Malley at UFC 324 in January. Figueiredo, meanwhile, is 4-3 since moving up to bantamweight. The former flyweight champion, however, has lost three of his last four, most recently falling to Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 324.The co-main event will feature Zhang Mingyang taking on Alonzo Menifield in light heavyweight action. Mingyang most recently fought in August at UFC Shanghai, losing to Johnny Walker. That loss was Mingyang’s first in the UFC and snapped a 12-fight win streak. Menifield has won five of his last eight but was most recently knocked out by Volkan Oezdemir at UFC Qatar in November.The UFC Macau main card will also feature Sergei Pavlovich vs. Tallison Teixeira, Kai Asakura vs. Cameron Smotherman, Jake Matthews vs. Carlston Harris, and Alex Perez vs. Su Mudaerji.SONG YADONG VS DEIVESON FIGUEIREDOIf there’s one thing to appreciate about Song Yadong, it’s his striking. With his Sanda foundation, Yadong has developed strong kickboxing skills, and he will look to use those to try and pressure Figueiredo into a war. Yadong has some strength to his strikes and has the cardio for a war; however, Figueiredo’s counterstriking can still be dangerous if he’s not careful.Figueiredo’s grappling can be a problem for Yadong if he’s not careful. He’ll have to make use of his takedown defense abilities (a 73% takedown defense rate, per UFC Stats) to avoid giving positioning and control, as well as submission opportunities, to Figueiredo. This should be a fight that lasts either way.BET: Yadong vs. Figueiredo to go the distance (Caesars: +100) Our Current Best OffersChannel debug: betting ZHANG MINGYANG VS ALONZO MENIFIELDAugust’s UFC Shanghai was supposed to be a coming-out party for Zhang Mingyang, who has proven himself to be a solid up-and-coming contender in the light heavyweight division. Mingyang, however, was finished solidly by Johnny Walker, halting Mingyang’s upward momentum. This fight gives Mingyang the chance to show he’s still got contender potential.Mingyang is the master of the first-round finish. Simply put, if Alonzo Menifield can be defensive and wear Mingyang down over the first round, he’s in a much stronger position to win. At 38 years old, however, it’s hard to imagine Menifield going five full minutes without getting tagged. And it’s hard to imagine Mingyang dropping a pair of consecutive fights, especially if he slugs the way he wants to.BET: Mingyang via KO/TKO in Round 1 (FanDuel: +160)  Our Current Best OffersChannel debug: betting KAI ASAKURA VS CAMERON SMOTHERMANThere were interesting options for a third best bet. As we’ve seen though, however, heavyweight fights can be volatile to pick, and some of the underdog plays on this card are a little harder to read. So, let’s talk about Kai Asakura.Asakura came into the UFC as a highly promoted talent and former RIZIN champion; however, he hasn’t lived up to the billing thus far. A loss to Alexandre Pantoja in a title fight in your UFC debut? Acceptable. Losing (with all due respect to him) to 39-year-old Tim Elliott in a fight Asaukra was a heavy favorite? Yikes. Now, Asakura moves up to bantamweight, hoping to show that a less drastic weight cut will do wonders for him – and he needs to hope this.Asakura has more experience and a stronger resume than his 12-6 opponent, Cameron Smotherman, who is 1-2 in the UFC. Asakura is the better all-around fighter, so the fight falls on him. The more he avoids a brawl and the better he is defensively, the stronger the chance he goes home with a win. A loss here, however, and it smells like the end of an insanely disappointing UFC run.BET: Asakura to win via KO/TKO OR decision (FanDuel: -240) Our Current Best OffersChannel debug: betting   #UFC #Macau #Bets #Fight #Predictions #Deadspin.com

loss to Sean O’Malley at UFC 324 in January. Figueiredo, meanwhile, is 4-3 since moving up to bantamweight. The former flyweight champion, however, has lost three of his last four, most recently falling to Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 324.

The co-main event will feature Zhang Mingyang taking on Alonzo Menifield in light heavyweight action. Mingyang most recently fought in August at UFC Shanghai, losing to Johnny Walker. That loss was Mingyang’s first in the UFC and snapped a 12-fight win streak. Menifield has won five of his last eight but was most recently knocked out by Volkan Oezdemir at UFC Qatar in November.

The UFC Macau main card will also feature Sergei Pavlovich vs. Tallison Teixeira, Kai Asakura vs. Cameron Smotherman, Jake Matthews vs. Carlston Harris, and Alex Perez vs. Su Mudaerji.

SONG YADONG VS DEIVESON FIGUEIREDO

If there’s one thing to appreciate about Song Yadong, it’s his striking. With his Sanda foundation, Yadong has developed strong kickboxing skills, and he will look to use those to try and pressure Figueiredo into a war. Yadong has some strength to his strikes and has the cardio for a war; however, Figueiredo’s counterstriking can still be dangerous if he’s not careful.

Figueiredo’s grappling can be a problem for Yadong if he’s not careful. He’ll have to make use of his takedown defense abilities (a 73% takedown defense rate, per UFC Stats) to avoid giving positioning and control, as well as submission opportunities, to Figueiredo. This should be a fight that lasts either way.

BET: Yadong vs. Figueiredo to go the distance (Caesars: +100)

Our Current Best Offers

Channel debug: betting


ZHANG MINGYANG VS ALONZO MENIFIELD

August’s UFC Shanghai was supposed to be a coming-out party for Zhang Mingyang, who has proven himself to be a solid up-and-coming contender in the light heavyweight division. Mingyang, however, was finished solidly by Johnny Walker, halting Mingyang’s upward momentum. This fight gives Mingyang the chance to show he’s still got contender potential.

Mingyang is the master of the first-round finish. Simply put, if Alonzo Menifield can be defensive and wear Mingyang down over the first round, he’s in a much stronger position to win. At 38 years old, however, it’s hard to imagine Menifield going five full minutes without getting tagged. And it’s hard to imagine Mingyang dropping a pair of consecutive fights, especially if he slugs the way he wants to.

BET: Mingyang via KO/TKO in Round 1 (FanDuel: +160)

Our Current Best Offers

Channel debug: betting

KAI ASAKURA VS CAMERON SMOTHERMAN

There were interesting options for a third best bet. As we’ve seen though, however, heavyweight fights can be volatile to pick, and some of the underdog plays on this card are a little harder to read. So, let’s talk about Kai Asakura.

Asakura came into the UFC as a highly promoted talent and former RIZIN champion; however, he hasn’t lived up to the billing thus far. A loss to Alexandre Pantoja in a title fight in your UFC debut? Acceptable. Losing (with all due respect to him) to 39-year-old Tim Elliott in a fight Asaukra was a heavy favorite? Yikes. Now, Asakura moves up to bantamweight, hoping to show that a less drastic weight cut will do wonders for him – and he needs to hope this.

Asakura has more experience and a stronger resume than his 12-6 opponent, Cameron Smotherman, who is 1-2 in the UFC. Asakura is the better all-around fighter, so the fight falls on him. The more he avoids a brawl and the better he is defensively, the stronger the chance he goes home with a win. A loss here, however, and it smells like the end of an insanely disappointing UFC run.

BET: Asakura to win via KO/TKO OR decision (FanDuel: -240)

Our Current Best Offers

Channel debug: betting

#UFC #Macau #Bets #Fight #Predictions #Deadspin.com">UFC Macau Best Bets and Fight Predictions for May 30 | Deadspin.com
UFC Macau Best Bets and Fight Predictions for May 30 | Deadspin.com  Aug 7, 2021; Houston, Texas, USA; Song Yadong (red gloves) reacts to fight against Casey Kenney (blue gloves) during UFC 265 at Toyota Center. credits: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports   After a successful visit in November 2024 – which was their first in 10 years – the Octagon will land back in Macau, China, for UFC Macau on May 30.The main event will feature a bantamweight battle between China’s Song Yadong and Deiveson Figueiredo.Yadong has won three of his last five fights; however, he enters this bout off a loss to Sean O’Malley at UFC 324 in January. Figueiredo, meanwhile, is 4-3 since moving up to bantamweight. The former flyweight champion, however, has lost three of his last four, most recently falling to Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 324.The co-main event will feature Zhang Mingyang taking on Alonzo Menifield in light heavyweight action. Mingyang most recently fought in August at UFC Shanghai, losing to Johnny Walker. That loss was Mingyang’s first in the UFC and snapped a 12-fight win streak. Menifield has won five of his last eight but was most recently knocked out by Volkan Oezdemir at UFC Qatar in November.The UFC Macau main card will also feature Sergei Pavlovich vs. Tallison Teixeira, Kai Asakura vs. Cameron Smotherman, Jake Matthews vs. Carlston Harris, and Alex Perez vs. Su Mudaerji.SONG YADONG VS DEIVESON FIGUEIREDOIf there’s one thing to appreciate about Song Yadong, it’s his striking. With his Sanda foundation, Yadong has developed strong kickboxing skills, and he will look to use those to try and pressure Figueiredo into a war. Yadong has some strength to his strikes and has the cardio for a war; however, Figueiredo’s counterstriking can still be dangerous if he’s not careful.Figueiredo’s grappling can be a problem for Yadong if he’s not careful. He’ll have to make use of his takedown defense abilities (a 73% takedown defense rate, per UFC Stats) to avoid giving positioning and control, as well as submission opportunities, to Figueiredo. This should be a fight that lasts either way.BET: Yadong vs. Figueiredo to go the distance (Caesars: +100) Our Current Best OffersChannel debug: betting ZHANG MINGYANG VS ALONZO MENIFIELDAugust’s UFC Shanghai was supposed to be a coming-out party for Zhang Mingyang, who has proven himself to be a solid up-and-coming contender in the light heavyweight division. Mingyang, however, was finished solidly by Johnny Walker, halting Mingyang’s upward momentum. This fight gives Mingyang the chance to show he’s still got contender potential.Mingyang is the master of the first-round finish. Simply put, if Alonzo Menifield can be defensive and wear Mingyang down over the first round, he’s in a much stronger position to win. At 38 years old, however, it’s hard to imagine Menifield going five full minutes without getting tagged. And it’s hard to imagine Mingyang dropping a pair of consecutive fights, especially if he slugs the way he wants to.BET: Mingyang via KO/TKO in Round 1 (FanDuel: +160)  Our Current Best OffersChannel debug: betting KAI ASAKURA VS CAMERON SMOTHERMANThere were interesting options for a third best bet. As we’ve seen though, however, heavyweight fights can be volatile to pick, and some of the underdog plays on this card are a little harder to read. So, let’s talk about Kai Asakura.Asakura came into the UFC as a highly promoted talent and former RIZIN champion; however, he hasn’t lived up to the billing thus far. A loss to Alexandre Pantoja in a title fight in your UFC debut? Acceptable. Losing (with all due respect to him) to 39-year-old Tim Elliott in a fight Asaukra was a heavy favorite? Yikes. Now, Asakura moves up to bantamweight, hoping to show that a less drastic weight cut will do wonders for him – and he needs to hope this.Asakura has more experience and a stronger resume than his 12-6 opponent, Cameron Smotherman, who is 1-2 in the UFC. Asakura is the better all-around fighter, so the fight falls on him. The more he avoids a brawl and the better he is defensively, the stronger the chance he goes home with a win. A loss here, however, and it smells like the end of an insanely disappointing UFC run.BET: Asakura to win via KO/TKO OR decision (FanDuel: -240) Our Current Best OffersChannel debug: betting   #UFC #Macau #Bets #Fight #Predictions #Deadspin.comAug 7, 2021; Houston, Texas, USA; Song Yadong (red gloves) reacts to fight against Casey Kenney (blue gloves) during UFC 265 at Toyota Center. credits: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

After a successful visit in November 2024 – which was their first in 10 years – the Octagon will land back in Macau, China, for UFC Macau on May 30.

The main event will feature a bantamweight battle between China’s Song Yadong and Deiveson Figueiredo.

Yadong has won three of his last five fights; however, he enters this bout off a loss to Sean O’Malley at UFC 324 in January. Figueiredo, meanwhile, is 4-3 since moving up to bantamweight. The former flyweight champion, however, has lost three of his last four, most recently falling to Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 324.

The co-main event will feature Zhang Mingyang taking on Alonzo Menifield in light heavyweight action. Mingyang most recently fought in August at UFC Shanghai, losing to Johnny Walker. That loss was Mingyang’s first in the UFC and snapped a 12-fight win streak. Menifield has won five of his last eight but was most recently knocked out by Volkan Oezdemir at UFC Qatar in November.

The UFC Macau main card will also feature Sergei Pavlovich vs. Tallison Teixeira, Kai Asakura vs. Cameron Smotherman, Jake Matthews vs. Carlston Harris, and Alex Perez vs. Su Mudaerji.

SONG YADONG VS DEIVESON FIGUEIREDO

If there’s one thing to appreciate about Song Yadong, it’s his striking. With his Sanda foundation, Yadong has developed strong kickboxing skills, and he will look to use those to try and pressure Figueiredo into a war. Yadong has some strength to his strikes and has the cardio for a war; however, Figueiredo’s counterstriking can still be dangerous if he’s not careful.

Figueiredo’s grappling can be a problem for Yadong if he’s not careful. He’ll have to make use of his takedown defense abilities (a 73% takedown defense rate, per UFC Stats) to avoid giving positioning and control, as well as submission opportunities, to Figueiredo. This should be a fight that lasts either way.

BET: Yadong vs. Figueiredo to go the distance (Caesars: +100)

Our Current Best Offers

Channel debug: betting


ZHANG MINGYANG VS ALONZO MENIFIELD

August’s UFC Shanghai was supposed to be a coming-out party for Zhang Mingyang, who has proven himself to be a solid up-and-coming contender in the light heavyweight division. Mingyang, however, was finished solidly by Johnny Walker, halting Mingyang’s upward momentum. This fight gives Mingyang the chance to show he’s still got contender potential.

Mingyang is the master of the first-round finish. Simply put, if Alonzo Menifield can be defensive and wear Mingyang down over the first round, he’s in a much stronger position to win. At 38 years old, however, it’s hard to imagine Menifield going five full minutes without getting tagged. And it’s hard to imagine Mingyang dropping a pair of consecutive fights, especially if he slugs the way he wants to.

BET: Mingyang via KO/TKO in Round 1 (FanDuel: +160)

Our Current Best Offers

Channel debug: betting

KAI ASAKURA VS CAMERON SMOTHERMAN

There were interesting options for a third best bet. As we’ve seen though, however, heavyweight fights can be volatile to pick, and some of the underdog plays on this card are a little harder to read. So, let’s talk about Kai Asakura.

Asakura came into the UFC as a highly promoted talent and former RIZIN champion; however, he hasn’t lived up to the billing thus far. A loss to Alexandre Pantoja in a title fight in your UFC debut? Acceptable. Losing (with all due respect to him) to 39-year-old Tim Elliott in a fight Asaukra was a heavy favorite? Yikes. Now, Asakura moves up to bantamweight, hoping to show that a less drastic weight cut will do wonders for him – and he needs to hope this.

Asakura has more experience and a stronger resume than his 12-6 opponent, Cameron Smotherman, who is 1-2 in the UFC. Asakura is the better all-around fighter, so the fight falls on him. The more he avoids a brawl and the better he is defensively, the stronger the chance he goes home with a win. A loss here, however, and it smells like the end of an insanely disappointing UFC run.

BET: Asakura to win via KO/TKO OR decision (FanDuel: -240)

Our Current Best Offers

Channel debug: betting

#UFC #Macau #Bets #Fight #Predictions #Deadspin.com

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