One of the most interesting bouts on the main card of UFC 272 is the featherweight fight between Edson Barboza and Bryce Mitchell. Oddsmakers see Mitchell as the favorite, the probable reason being that he is still without a single loss in his professional career. However, if there’s a fighter who could put an end to that is 7BALL Barboza, a 36-year-old who’s been in the UFC since 2010.
Edson Barboza vs Bryce Mitchell Odds (UFC 272, 2022)
All odds are per FanDuel as of March 3.
Moneyline
Edson Barboza+140Bryce Mitchell-172
Where and When to WatchDate: Saturday, March 5Time: ~9:00 PM EDTLocation: T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, NVWatch: ESPNEdson Barboza’s Got Experience on His Side
The Brazilian fighter is 22-10 in his pro career, which started back in 2009. Only one year and a few months after his pro debut, Barboza landed a UFC deal. Over the next 12 years, he fought 26 fights, winning 16 and losing 10 bouts.
Most of his wins happened by knockout/technical knockout. No surprise there as Barboza is famous for his kicking prowess. In fact, according to Joe Rogan, he’s “probably the best kicker in MMA.”
Barboza’s last fight saw him lose to Giga Chikadze last August by TKO. Three months earlier, he won against Shane Burgos by KO in a bout that was crowned the Fight of the Night by the UFC.
Mitchell Still Doesn’t Know of a Defeat
Bryce Mitchell is 14-0 in his pro career. However, only five of those were fought under the banner of the UFC. The fighters he’s defeated so far in the UFC are Tyler Diamond, Bobby Moffett, Matt Sayles, Charles Rosa, and Andre Fili. None of those fighters is as good as Mitchell’s next opponent.
Nevertheless, his undefeated run brought him relatively high in the UFC featherweight rankings. He is currently in the #11 position, one spot below Edson Barboza.
The big question is whether Mitchell can continue his super run? The guy is amazing on the floor, with 9 of his 14 wins happening by submission. The other five happened by decision. That said, Mitchell is still without a knockout win.
Knowing all this, it seems that Mitchell’s game plan is going to be to take his opponent down. However, that comes with a risk of getting knocked out by Barboza. So, which fighting still will come on top? Even though online sportsbooks think Mitchell will win, Barboza mustn’t be underestimated. This guy knows how to win big fights like these.
Picks: Edson Barboza by Knockout
