UFC 260 will showcase the bantamweight division with a brawl of Sean O’Malley vs Thomas Almeida. O’Malley is a polarizing figure in the UFC, but he’s opened as the betting favorite by a decent margin. Almeida is slightly older and physically smaller than O’Malley, a skilled striker who should take advantage of an opponent in shaky form.
The UFC is on a hot streak right now as we’ve been treated to lots of fantastic fights over the past couple of weeks. This weekend the UFC brings the big event back to Las Vegas with UFC 260. Sean O’Malley vs Thomas Almeida’s bantamweight clash is on deck this Saturday, March 27, 2021, as part of the main card. O’Malley enters the fight as the betting favorite, despite being less experienced than Almeida. The top UFC betting sites and MMA predictions are most likely basing fight odds on Almeida’s dry spell. Almeida was once a noteworthy warrior in the lighter divisions but has somewhat faded in the past couple of years due to losses piling up. He hasn’t won since November 2016 and is currently on a three-fight losing streak. Almeida needs to do something ASAP if he hopes to re-establish himself as a formidable challenger. However, it doesn’t look like it’ll be an easy task against O’Malley, whose striking prowess is nothing less than stellar. O’Malley had a five-fight winning streak snapped the last time he fought, on August 15, 2020. He suffered a KO/TKO defeat to Marlon Vera, which he has infamously claimed was “lucky.” Apart from that loss, though, he’s been great. He’s one of the most exciting young fighters to watch in the bantamweight, and despite the kooky hair color choices, I think he should take this one this weekend. NJ’s top sites for online sports betting have the best markets available for this fight, so check out the NJ online sportsbook review in the coming days for updated odds and markets. Currently, the best moneyline odds for both O’Malley and Almeida can be found over on the Borgata sportsbook, where they’re listed at -300 and +250, respectively. O’Malley’s moneyline odds aren’t enticing, but I’d say take O’Malley to win by KO/TKO, which FanDuel currently has listed at +140.
Almeida may break out of his slump, but he’s been far too shaky recently to trust. O’Malley is a hard hitter, and Almeida’s defense hasn’t looked great in his last three losses, so I’ve got to back O’Malley to win this Saturday night. My prediction: O’Malley KO/TKO in the 1st round.
