UFC Vegas 35 Odds, Picks and Betting Preview – Barboza vs Chikadze

• Edson Barboza battles Giga Chikadze in a highly-anticipated main event at UFC Vegas 35
• The Ultimate Fighter 29 bantamweight and middleweight finals also take place
• See the odds, picks, and betting preview for the full UFC Vegas 35 main card, below

The UFC is still at the Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, for UFC Vegas 35 on August 28th, 2021. In the main event, two of the best kickboxers in the UFC go at it as Edson Barboza takes on Giga Chikadze. The co-main event sees the TUF 29 middleweight finale between Bryan Battle and Gilbert Urbina.

UFC Vegas 35 main card airs live on ESPN at 10 PM EST. The table below shows odds for the main card at DraftKings followed by best bets. Make sure to check out the latest sportsbook promos before placing your bets for UFC Vegas 35.

UFC Vegas 35 Odds

All odds as of August 23

Does Chikadze Remain Undefeated in the UFC?

Giga Chikadze has been impressive in the UFC but he gets a big step-up in competition when he faces Edson Barboza who is a very dangerous striker.

Barboza & Chikadze Recent Fights

Chikadze is a phenomenal kickboxer and has looked impressive as of late, but there are still some concerns about him. When he fought on the Contender Series in 2018 he lost by submission, and the ground game of Chikadze has always been a concern. Yet, he has been working with Beneil Dariush for years, so it’s likely he has improved.

Barboza, meanwhile, is a great striker who has vicious leg kicks but he also has an underrated ground game and could very well look to get Chikadze down. He does cut a lot of weight, and even though he has headlined cards, whether or not he can go 25 minutes at 145lbs is uncertain.

Barboza & Chikadze Stats

This will be the first time Chikadze will be scheduled to go 25 minutes in the UFC, and he will have his hands full. I expect the first round to be a slower pace as they each throw leg and body kicks and try and feel out each other in the striking realm.

Once the fight starts to play out, I do think both men will be land some big punches and kicks to the head and body that hurt each other. I do think you will see Barboza shoot for a takedown, but I think Chikadze has improved on the ground and on the feet Chikadze is the more dynamic striker and will land the better shots and get a late TKO to remain undefeated in the UFC. He’s offering great value at his current odds for this weekend’s upcoming UFC Vegas 35 card.

Pick: Giga Chikadze (-115)

Who Becomes the Next Ultimate Fighter?

Bryan Battle looked phenomenal on TUF while Gilbert Urbina was knocked out in his semifinal matchup to Tresean Gore but a knee injury to Gore allowed Urbina to step up on a week and a half notice.

Battle & Urbina Recent Fights

This fight will be super interesting if it hits the ground as both Battle and Urbina are good grapplers, but on the feet, Urbina does get hit a lot, and as we saw in the semis, Gore was able to capitalize. Battle doesn’t have a ton of KO power so I expect him to be able to stuff the takedowns and piece up Urbina and win a decision and win the TUF 29 middleweight season.

Pick: Bryan Battle (-170)

Other UFC Vegas 35 Picks:

1. Ricky Turcios (-180): Turcios will be able to keep it standing and piece up Hiestand to win a decision and win the TUF 29 bantamweight season.
2. Kevin Lee (-145): Lee will have his hands full on the feet, but I expect him to be able to get the fight to the ground and either win a decision or potentially get a submission.
3. Andre Petroski (-475): Petroski will be able to get Gilmore down with ease and get the submission in the first or second round. Petroski by submission or inside the distance prop will have more value.
4. Makhmud Muradov (-450): Muradov should be able to stuff the takedowns and land big shots that will KO Meerschaert. Muradov by KO/TKO prop is the way to bet as that will hold more value.