UFC Fight Night 225: Holloway vs. the Korean Zombie Odds, Schedule, Predictions
UFC fans in the States are set to have some violence with their bacon eggs early Saturday morning. The organization is headed to Kallang, Singapore with a great main event between Max Holloway and "The Korean Zombie" Chan Sung Jung.
The featherweight matchup is one of those that feels surprising it has take this long to manifest.
Both fighters have been toward the top of the division for a long time. Both are fan favorites with exciting styles. It only makes sense that these two would eventually find each other in the cage.
The card is brining the early morning fireworks in other places too. Giga Chikadze returns to action against Alex Caceres in another important featherweight contest. Anthony Smith and Ryan Spann will meet in the co-main event.
Here's a look at the complete card with the latest odds and a closer examination of the featured bouts.
Fight Card, Schedule and Odds
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Main Card (ESPN+ at 8 a.m. ET)
Max Holloway (-750) vs. Chan Sung Jung (+195)
Anthony Smith (-130) vs. Ryan Spann (+110)
Giga Chikadze (-238) vs. Alex Caceres (+195)
Rinya Nakamura (-850) vs. Fernie Garcia (+575)
Erin Blanchfield (-148) vs. Taila Santos (+124)
Junior Tafa (-140) vs. Parker Porter (+125)
Prelims (ESPN+ at 5 a.m. ET)
Waldo Cortes-Acosta (-225) vs. Lukasz Brzeski (+185)
Toshiomi Kazama (+136) vs. Garrett Armfield (-162)
Chidi Njokuani (-102) vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk (-118)
Song Kenan (+260) vs. Rolando Bedoya (-325)
Billy Goff (+120) vs. Yusaku Kinoshita (-142)
Liang Na (+390) vs. JJ Aldrich (-520)
Seung Woo Choi (-155) vs. Jarno Errens (+130)
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook
Holloway vs. Jung
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The main attraction is worth getting up early on a Saturday morning by itself. Max Holloway is a massive favorite, but this is the kind of matchup that's bound to be fun.
In one corner is Holloway's relentless pace and boxing. In the other is The Korean Zombie's toughness and finishing capabilities.
Holloway has been in several high-volume fights throughout his career so you'd think that an aging cliff is coming. But that has yet to happen and his masterclass against Arnold Allen was a reminder of just how good Holloway is.
While The Korean Zombie has become a fan favorite, he's never quite been able to get over the hump of beating an elite opponent outside of what was left of Frankie Edgar in 2019.
That trend will likely continue against Holloway. His hand speed, movement and volume should give him the advantage over a much slower opponent. Jung will be dangerous throughout the fight but "Blessed" is blessed with an iron chin that should keep him out of serious trouble.
Prediction: Holloway via decision
Smith vs. Spann
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Anthony Smith and Ryan Spann will run back their 2021 fight in the co-main event. Smith defeated Spann with a rear-naked choke in the first round in their first encounter.
Since then, Smith has dropped back-to-back fights. Magomed Ankalaev knocked him out in the second round before he lost a unanimous decision to Johnny Walker. At 35 years old, he needs a win if he wants to keep retirement talk at bay.
Spann has gone to win two out of his last three fights. He once again showed a weakness for submissions in his loss to Nikita Krylov but he showcased how dangerous he is in first-round finishes of Ion Cutelaba and Dominick Reyes.
In the first fight, Smith won with his striking and finished the fight off on the ground. Spann tried to utilize his wrestling to neutralize Smith, but as soon as there was a prolonged striking exchange Smith caught him with a left hook.
Don't expect this one to last too much longer. Spann has an aggressive style that lends itself to early finishes for him or his opponent.
However, it's hard to pick Smith after his last two fights.
Prediction: Spann via first-round TKO
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Chikadze vs. Caceres
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Giga Chikadze's ascent took a hit the last time we saw him in the Octagon. After winning his first seven fights in the UFC and winning Performance of the Night in three straight fights, he lost a Fight of the Night to Calvin Kattar by unanimous decision.
Kattar was able to batter Chikadze with his boxing. The Georgia took much more damage than we'd seen him and had his kicks neutralized.
Now he draws Alex Caceres who has won two fights in a row. He knocked out Julian Erosa and won a unanimous decision of Daniel Pineda, but neither of those guys are on the same level as Chikadze.
It will be interesting to see how Chikadze responds in this fight. The psychological impact of a loss after a long winning streak can be a blip on the radar or the beginning of an eroding confidence.
If Chikadze is unafraid of engaging on the feet and back to his normal self, this will be one-sided. He's the much better kickboxer and Caceres is not a powerful enough wrestler to force Chikadze out of a striking matchup.
If Chikadze is gun shy, then this thing gets a lot more interest.
Prediction: Chikadze via third-round TKO
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