Maycee Barber vs Alexa Grasso is slated to be the sole women’s flyweight bout on the main card for UFC 258. Grasso is the betting favorite despite being lower on the rankings, but Barber is looking to regain her form. Grasso is a challenging matchup for Barber given her superior striking, but the betting value on a Barber upset is enticing.
Maycee Barber vs Alexa Grasso will serve as the co-main event for UFC 258 in Las Vegas on February 13, 2021. Online sports betting sites in NJ favor Grasso, but MMA predictions and the best UFC betting sites say it’s worth rolling with the underdog. Maycee Barber started off her UFC career red-hot with a 4-0 record. She had won every fight by KO/TKO, but her dominant campaign was derailed when she lost to Roxanne Modafferi on January 18, 2020. She closed that fight against Modafferi as a colossal favorite, and had it not been for an ACL tear, that fight may have ended differently. Nevertheless, she lost, but she looks poised to make a comeback. At just 22 years old, Barber has impressed fans with her toughness and fighting skills. She’s somewhat of a polarizing figure in MMA circles for declaring that she wants to be the youngest UFC champion of all time. Some say it comes off as cocky, while some take it as a sign of her confidence. Either way, you’ve got to admire a fighter who’s able to speak so candidly. Grasso is an impressive fighter herself but is in shaky form, dropping two of her last five fights. However, she is coming off a unanimous decision win against Ji Yeon Kim. Oddsmakers are likely giving Grasso the edge due to Barber’s recent injury, and it could very well pay off for bettors to roll with the favorite at moneyline odds of -134 (FanDuel). Grasso’s a phenomenal striker facing an opponent coming off a serious injury who hasn’t seen the octagon in over a year. Still, I prefer to roll with Barber’s betting value. Go with the double chance bet for Barber to take it by either submission or KO/TKO. The NJ online sportsbook review for 888sport lists those at odds at +188, which is better than FanDuel’s sportsbook who has them at +185.
Barber has yet to win a UFC match via anything other than KO/TKO, but it’s impossible to tell how she will look in her first fight after tearing her ACL. Barber is a smart fighter, and she knows she’ll be able to gain the upper hand on Grasso if she takes the battle to the floor. My prediction: Barber wins by submission in the 2nd round.
