The welterweight matchup between Warlley Alves and Mounir Lazzez on UFC Fight Island 8 is intriguing. Lazzez opens as the favorite after impressing in his UFC debut, but Alves is a tough out despite dropping two of his last three fights. NJ sportsbooks have good value for Alves, who I think will win by submission in the 2nd round.
Mounir Lazzez has stepped up to the plate to face Warlley Alves in UFC Fight Island 8. Lazzez has only fought once in the UFC, but he impressed the world with a unanimous decision victory against Abdul Razak Alhassan on July 15, 2020. He closed as a +240 for that fight, so if you bet on him for that one, you got paid! He steps in to fight Warlley Alves after Christian Aguilera dropped out, and although the Brazilian is 1-2 in his last three fights, he’ll be a tough match for the Lazzez. Alves is a skilled fighter most known for submitting Colby Covington for the first time in his career way back in 2015. He’s a strong all-around fighter with a knack for submitting his opponents. Lazzez was relatively unknown before his UFC debut in 2020, but the 33-year-old Tunisian packs a ton of power. We only have a small sample size to work with when analyzing Lazzez, but he’s a dangerous opponent for anybody. He’s hungry to prove himself as a UFC staple, and if he connects with Alves, it could spell trouble for the Brazilian early on. Alves is a formidable fighter himself but has looked a bit shaky in his recent fights and has only won three of his last seven contests. Online sports betting sites in New Jersey are banking on Lazzez to continue his quest of making a name for himself in the UFC, but NJ’s top MMA betting site and online UFC betting sites aren’t listing the greatest odds for the Tunisian. New Jersey online sportsbook reviews list odds from several sportsbooks, but FanDuel has the best moneyline value for Alves at +164, while odds for Lazzez are less-than-desirable at -205. I wouldn’t blame anybody for betting on Lazzez to win this fight, but I’m not super excited about his odds. I like Alves’ chances enough to lay a value bet on him beating Lazzez.
Alves has been inconsistent as of late, but I can’t bring myself to bet on Lazzez with the odds that NJ sportbooks are listing. He still only has one UFC fight under his belt, and unless he connects with Alves for a hard strike, I like Alves’ chances of winning. My prediction: Alves wins in the 3rd round by submission.
