Andre Ewell vs Chris Gutierrez has been bumped up to the main card for UFC 258 in Las Vegas. Ewell is looking to add a third consecutive win to his ongoing streak, while Gutierrez looks to win after getting a draw in his last contest. Gutierrez walks into this fight as the betting favorite, but Ewell has a significant reach advantage.
Andre Ewell vs Chris Gutierrez will be fought at a catchweight of 140 lbs. The matchup was a call-up to replace another fight on the main card for UFC 258 in Las Vegas on February 13, 2021, but it figures to be an exciting showdown, regardless. Andre Ewell has done well since joining the UFC back in 2018. He now has a professional MMA record of 17-6 and is riding a two-fight winning streak following a victory over Irwin Rivera on September 19, 2020. Chris Gutierrez was on an impressive three-fight winning streak and hadn’t lost since November 30, 2018, until he was awarded a draw against Cody Durden in his last fight. Technically, he’s undefeated in his last four bouts, which probably explains why top betting sites in NJ and MMA predictions favor him over Ewell. NJ online sportsbook reviews and the best UFC betting sites like FanDuel list him as a -162 favorite on the moneyline, while Ewell is a +132 underdog. Andre Ewell has a tremendous reach for his size at 75 inches, while Gutierrez has a reach of just 67 inches in comparison. He’s also slightly better at striking his opponents, landing 4.50 significant strikes per minute (SLpM), while Gutierrez lands 4.23. However, Gutierrez has a considerable edge over Ewell in terms of strikes absorbed per minute (SApM) at just 2.11 compared to Ewell at 4.20. His defense is clearly superior, which will make it challenging for Ewell to end the fight within the distance. In all honesty, it’s tough to bet against either one of them, but I’m inclined to take Ewell’s betting value even though Gutierrez should win this fight based on top MMA predictions. I’ll go with FanDuel’s moneyline odds for Ewell at +132 and hope the underdog can come through.
Chris Gutierrez could easily emerge as the winner of this bout. He’s the betting favorite for a reason, but I like Ewell’s value and chances to win. Gutierrez’s superb striking defense will be effective against Ewell, so he’ll need to mix it up with takedowns and grappling to get Gutierrez on the floor. My prediction: Ewell wins by split decision.
