Gilbert Burns has climbed the UFC rankings behind a five-fight win streak that has seen him emerge victorious using a variety of disciplines. His opponent on Saturday, Tyron Woodley, specializes in stopping the career momentum of his opposition. Something has to give on Saturday night when they square off in the main event of UFC Fight Night: Woodley vs. Burns in Las Vegas. The welterweight contenders top an 11-bout UFC fight card at the UFC’s Apex facility, with the main card slated for 9 p.m. ET.
Woodley, the top-ranked former division champion, has ended four win streaks of at least five victories in his career. The No. 6-ranked Burns can put himself in title contention should he extend his hot streak to six victories. Woodley is a -180 favorite (risk $180 to win $100), while Burns is a +155 underdog in the latest MMA odds at William Hill for the May 30 UFC fight card. Before you make any UFC Fight Night: Woodley vs. Burns picks, make sure you see what SportsLine MMA expert Kyle Marley has to say.
Marley won the first-ever “ToutMaster” UFC betting contest sponsored by MMAOddsBreaker and also appears regularly on multiple MMA betting and DFS shows. Over the past 15 months, $100 bettors who have followed Marley’s picks are up nearly $20,000.
At UFC Fight Night on May 16 in Jacksonville, Marley accurately predicted that underdog Alistair Overeem (+145) would finish Walt Harris (-165) in a battle of heavyweight contenders. The MMA analyst reasoned the veteran Overeem’s more varied skill set would be the difference. He was proven correct after Overeem survived an early flurry and got the fight to the mat, where he finished Harris with ground-and-pound in the second round. Anyone who has consistently followed Marley is way up.
Now, with UFC Fight Night on May 30 fast approaching, Marley has carefully studied every matchup on the card, identified the best value in the UFC odds and released his MMA picks for every fight. Those selections are only available at SportsLine.
Woodley vs. Burns preview
The MMA handicapper knows the May 30 main event will likely be a major turning point in the careers of both fighters. Woodley has seen one of the most successful runs in UFC welterweight history marred by inactivity due to various injuries and criticism from what some observers view as a conservative fighting style.
Woodley (19-4-1) memorably knocked out Robbie Lawler in the first round of their July 2016 bout to win the title and made four successful title defenses. But he was listless in his lopsided decision loss to Usman, who used his wrestling and cage control to dominate their fight. The former champion turned 38 in April and a loss to Burns could mean a long road back to title contention.
Burns (18-3) heads to the Apex facility as one of the promotion’s hottest fighters. The 33-year-old Brazilian has flirted on the outskirts of the rankings since making his UFC debut in 2014. But he has been on a roll since a July 2018 loss to Dan Hooker, with a series of impressive outings among his five consecutive victories.
Burns knocked out revered submission specialist Demian Maia in March and immediately asked for a bout with a top contender. He called for a fight with Woodley on social media and the former champion obliged. You can see Marley’s full Woodley vs. Burns predictions and picks here.
Top UFC Fight Night predictions for May 30
We’ll reveal one of Marley’s UFC Fight Night predictions for the May 30 card here: He is backing Antonina Shevchenko (-135) to earn a hard-fought decision win against Katlyn Chookagian (+115) in women’s flyweight match.
Shevchenko (8-1) is a kickboxing and Muay Thai specialist who took a 12-year break from the sport after making her professional MMA debut in 2002. The 35-year-old has gone 1-1 in two UFC bouts since her return to the Octagon and notched a second-round submission of Lucie Pudilova in August.
Chookagian (13-3) is a UFC veteran who made her promotional debut with a win over Lauren Murphy in July 2016. Her last bout ended in a stoppage defeat in a title bout against Valentina Shevchenko, the younger sister of her opponent Saturday.
“This should be a 15-minute striking battle and probably a back-and-forth one,” Marley told SportsLine. “Shevchenko is the better striker and more dangerous finisher.”
How to make UFC Fight Night: Burns vs. Woodley picks
Marley also has strong picks for Burns vs. Woodley and every other bout on the May 30 Fight Night card. He’s also backing one fighter because of their “standout ground game.” You can see those selections at SportsLine.
Who wins Burns vs. Woodley? And how exactly does each fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks on every fight on the UFC Fight Night card on May 30, all from the accomplished expert who’s up almost $20,000 on MMA bets, and find out.
UFC Fight Night: Woodley vs. Burns odds
Tyron Woodley (-180) vs. Gilbert Burns (+155)
Augusto Sakai (-110) vs. Blagoy Ivanov (-110)
Mackenzie Dern (-410) vs. Hannah Cifers (+320)
Roosevelt Roberts (-310) vs. Brok Weaver (+250)
Katlyn Chookagian (+115) vs. Antonina Shevchenko (-135)
Billy Quarantillo (-135) vs. Spike Carlyle (+115)
Jamahal Hill (-125) vs. Klidson Abreu (+105)
Tim Elliott (-175) vs. Brandon Royval (+150)
Louis Smoka (+210) vs. Casey Kenney (-260)
Chris Gutierrez (-110) vs. Vince Morales (-110)
Daniel Rodriguez (-330) vs. Gabriel Green (+260)
