UFC Fight Island 8 Odds, Picks & Betting Preview – Chiesa vs Magny

• The UFC holds a rare event on a Wednesday on January 20, 2021
• Michael Chiesa battles Neil Magny in the main event
• See the odds, picks, and betting preview for the full UFC Fight Island 8 main card, below

The UFC is back for a rare Wednesday card on January 20 as the promotion holds three events in one week.

In the main event of UFC Fight Island 8, top-10 welterweights collide as Michael Chiesa battles Neil Magny. The co-main event sees all-action fighters in Warlley Alves and Mounir Lazzez throw down.

UFC Fight Island 8 main card airs live on January 20, 2021, on ESPN at Noon PM EST. The table below shows odds for the main card at FanDuel and DraftKings, followed by best bets for the event.

UFC Fight Island 8 Odds

All odds as of Jan. 18

Who Takes The Next Step at Welterweight?

Michael Chiesa is a perfect 3-0 at welterweight after having mixed results at lightweight for years in the UFC. Neil Magny, meanwhile, returned after nearly two years away in 2020 and went 3-0 in with three impressive wins and looks like he can be a legit title contender.

Chiesa & Magny Recent Fights

This a shot at redemption for both men.

For the second time in both Chiesa and Magny’s UFC careers, they will headline a UFC show. In Chiesa’s first main event, he was submitted by Kevin Lee, Magny, meanwhile, was knocked out by Ponzinibbio. Since then, both men have turned it around and have become top-10 contenders in the loaded welterweight division.

Chiesa vs Magny Stats

This is such a fight to call as both men in Chiesa and Magny are both well-rounded. However, there is a clear path to victory for both men, and for Chiesa, he needs to implement his wrestling and get the fight to the ground. For Magny, he needs to use his reach to pop his jab and not let Chiesa close the distance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpiD3cR8QJY&ab_channel=UFC-UltimateFightingChampionship

As the odds suggest, this is a super close fight, but Magny, at times, has had questionable fight IQ. In this fight, I do expect Chiesa to be able to close the distance and use his wrestling to not only control the fight but submit Magny. We’ve seen Magny be submitted before, and eventually, I expect him to make a mistake on the ground, and Chiesa capitalizes.

Pick: Michael Chiesa (+115)

Can Lazzez Keep The Momentum Going?

Warlley Alves went from fighting Christin Aguilera, which is a winnable fight, to now fighting Mounir Lazzez, which is no doubt a tougher fight for him.

Alves & Lazzez Recent Fights

Throughout his career, the ground game has been a problem for Warlley Alves, however, against Mounir Lazzez, he will hand his hands full on the feet.

This might’ve been one of the highlights Dana saw of Mounir Lazzez #UFCFightIsland1 https://t.co/WbgNdXtaCg

— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) July 16, 2020

Lazzez proved he has a solid chin in his debut and has legit knockout power and can go hard for three rounds. However, I don’t think he will need the full 15 minutes against Alves. I like Lazzez to hit him a lot early and in the second or third round, finish him via TKO.

Pick: Mounir Lazzez (-225)

Other UFC Fight Island 8 Picks:

1. Ike Villaneuva (-134): Both Villaneuva and Moreira are winless in the UFC, however, Moreira has been knocked out in all three fights. Expect Villaneuva to KO the Brazilian early in the fight.
2. Viviane Araujo (-345): Araujo has had a hard time fighting bigger opponents, however, I expect her to be able to outstrike Modafferi and win a decision.
3. Tyson Nam (-130): Nam has legit one-punch KO power and Schnell doesn’t have the best chin. I think Nam can stuff the takedowns, and eventually land a big shot in the second or third to get the KO win.
4. Lerone Murphy (-278): Murphy is better everywhere and should be able to finish Silva de Andrade by TKO.