Davey Grant vs. Daniel Marcos Prediction: Can Daniel Marcos Stay Undefeated at UFC Fight Night?

Davey Grant vs. Daniel Marcos Prediction: Can Daniel Marcos Stay Undefeated at UFC Fight Night?

The featured prelim on Saturday's fight night card in London features the hometown favorite, Davey Grant. Grant is coming off the biggest win of his career against Raphael Assuncao, and he has the task of trying to be the first "1" in Marcos' win-loss record. Marcos is an undefeated prospect who showed out in his UFC debut with a TKO win, and he looks to notch the biggest win of HIS career tomorrow night as a -150 favorite.

Davey Grant vs. Daniel Marcos Date, Time, Where to Watch

Date: July 22, 2023

Time: 12:00 p.m. ET

Where: O2 Arena (ENG), London, England

Where to Watch: ESPN+

Davey Grant vs. Daniel Marcos Prediction

Davey Grant enters this fight as a crafty veteran with a 15-6 record. After looking like he may be done after losing two in a row to Marlon Vera and Adrian Yanez, Grant quickly bounced back with a win over Louis Smolka and Raphael Assuncao. Grant has four knockout wins and nine submissions, and he is incredibly well-rounded.

Grant’s sneaky grappling was on full display his last time out when he was down two rounds to one on the scorecards and submitted Assuncao with an inverted triangle, which has only been done a few other times in the UFC. Grant’s comeback win was the biggest of his career, and he is looking to use that momentum Saturday night as an underdog against the up-and-coming Marcos.

Daniel Marcos is a perfect 14-0 in his MMA career, with eight total knockout wins. Marcos is a flashy striker who loves to work the body and changes his opponent’s eye levels at all times to keep them guessing. He has good kicks, body shots, straight jabs, and hooks. He has displayed great striking at a lower level, but now is his time to put it to test at a higher level in the UFC. Marcos faced Saimon Oliveira in his UFC debut and got a TKO win with knees to the body, and his striking was on full display in that fight. However, it remains to see if he can hang with a vet like Grant.

Marcos came up through Dana White's Tuesday night contender series, beating Brandon Lewis by decision. Over his last two wins, Marcos' striking has looked great, but it's important to note that both Saimon Oliveira and Brandon Lewis were primarily wrestlers/grapplers. Marcos also had a size and reach advantage over both, making his range striking a bit easier. He was the taller and longer man in both of those fights, making it easier to stay out of trouble with takedowns. That will not be the case in this bout. Davey Grant has the same reach as Marcos and is one inch taller. So while Marcos has looked incredible so far, he has faced two short grapplers/wrestlers, and now he is facing a taller, much better striker.

I get why Marcos looks like a nice play. He is 14-0, and people love seeing undefeated fighters at under -200. Grant is 37 years old, while Marcos is a young up-and-comer. Grant is also 5-4 in his last nine fights. However, all of this said, Grant is the better player as an underdog. For all the things Marcos does well, Grant does just as good. He has excellent kicks, is a great striker from range, and works the body just like Marcos. Grant is the better grappler, and if the fight gets to the fence, I expect Grant to get him down and test his submission defense. Grant is well-tested and has fought some of the top fighters in the division, like Adrian Yanez, Marlon Vera (twice), and Assuncao (who looks a bit washed now but still). If Grant's last fight proved anything, it's that you cannot ever count him out of a fight. I like putting my money on those kind of fighters. Grant is the play for me at a great plus-money price.

Davey Grant vs. Daniel Marcos Pick

Pick: Davey Grant ML +125 is currently the best odds. Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds for this pick

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