UFC 258: Main Card Event Picks 

UFC 285 is set to take place on March 4th, 2023 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and it promises to be an unforgettable night of action. With a stacked card featuring some of the top fighters in the sport, fans can expect to see plenty of exciting knockouts, submissions, and hard-fought battles. Here is a preview and prediction on every fight of the Main Card Event:

Bo Nickal vs. Jamie Pickett

Bo Nickal is a promising fighter in the UFC middleweight division, with an impressive undefeated record of 3-0-0. Nickal is a former NCAA Division I wrestling champion, and his grappling skills have been on full display in his professional MMA fights. He's also a talented striker, with quick hands and precise striking.

In his upcoming matchup against Jamie Pickett, Nickal will be looking to use his wrestling skills to control the fight and take Pickett down. Pickett is a skilled striker with good footwork and movement, but he's vulnerable on the ground. If Nickal can take him down and keep him there, he'll likely be able to secure a victory.

Nickal's wrestling skills are top-notch, and he's shown that he can take down even the most skilled strikers. He's also got solid striking, which makes him a dangerous threat in all areas of the fight. Pickett will be looking to keep the fight standing and use his striking to pick apart Nickal, but it's unlikely that he'll be able to do so for the entire fight.

Ultimately, I believe that Nickal will win the fight by unanimous decision. He'll be able to take Pickett down and control him on the ground, avoiding Pickett's striking and securing a victory on points. Nickal is a promising young fighter with a bright future in the sport, and I expect him to continue his undefeated streak with a victory over Pickett at UFC 285.

Pick: Bo Nickal ML -2500

Mateusz Gamrot vs. Jalin Turner

Mateusz Gamrot is a talented grappler with a record of 21-2-0. He's a former KSW featherweight and lightweight champion and is widely regarded as one of the top prospects in the UFC's lightweight division. Gamrot has an impressive ground game, with excellent wrestling and submission skills that have earned him 11 submission victories throughout his career. He's also a skilled striker, with good footwork and quick movement that allows him to close the distance and take his opponents down.

Jalin Turner, meanwhile, is a skilled striker with a record of 13-5-0. He's known for his powerful striking and has secured nine of his victories by knockout. Turner is a tall and lanky fighter, standing at 6'3", with an 80-inch reach that allows him to keep his opponents at bay and land heavy strikes from a distance. He's also got solid takedown defense, which he'll need to use to keep the fight standing and avoid Gamrot's grappling attacks.

So who has the advantage in this matchup? It's a tough call, as both fighters are incredibly talented and bring different skills to the table. Gamrot's grappling skills are top-notch, and he'll likely be looking to take Turner down and control him on the ground. Turner, meanwhile, will be looking to keep the fight standing and use his striking to pick apart Gamrot from a distance.

Ultimately, though, I believe that Gamrot has the edge in this matchup. His grappling skills are simply too good to ignore, and he'll likely be able to take Turner down and control him on the ground. Turner's striking is dangerous, but he'll struggle to land clean shots if Gamrot is able to close the distance and take him down. I think that Gamrot will win the fight by submission, likely in the second or third round, and cement his status as one of the top prospects in the UFC's lightweight division.

Pick: Mateusz Gamrot ML -239

Geoff Neal vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov

Geoff Neal is a talented striker with a record of 15-4-0. He's known for his power and accuracy in the stand-up game, with nine of his victories coming by way of knockout. Neal has excellent striking technique, with good footwork and the ability to deliver heavy shots from all angles. He'll be looking to use his striking to pick apart Rakhmonov and secure a knockout victory.

Shavkat Rakhmonov, meanwhile, is a talented grappler with a perfect record of 16-0-0. He's a former M-1 welterweight champion and is widely regarded as one of the top prospects in the UFC's welterweight division. Rakhmonov has an excellent ground game, with impressive wrestling and submission skills that have earned him 12 submission victories throughout his career. He'll be looking to take Neal down and control him on the ground, where he can use his grappling skills to wear Neal down and secure a submission victory.

Neal's striking is dangerous and could potentially end the fight with one clean shot, while Rakhmonov's grappling skills are top-notch and could allow him to control the pace of the fight on the ground. However, I believe that Rakhmonov has the edge in this matchup. His grappling skills are simply too good to ignore, and he'll likely be able to take Neal down and control him on the ground. Neal has shown vulnerabilities in the past when facing skilled grapplers, and Rakhmonov will likely be looking to exploit those weaknesses.

I believe that Rakhmonov will win the fight by submission, likely in the second or third round. He'll look to take Neal down early and wear him down with his grappling, eventually securing a submission victory as Neal tires and becomes more susceptible to Rakhmonov's attacks. Overall, Rakhmonov's grappling skills will be too much for Neal to handle, and he'll emerge victorious in what promises to be a thrilling welterweight matchup.

Pick: Shavkat Rakhmonov ML -550

Valentina Shevchenko vs. Alexa Grasso

These two talented fighters are sure to put on a show, but I believe that Shevchenko has what it takes to emerge victorious and retain her title.

Shevchenko is widely regarded as one of the best fighters in the sport, with a record of 23-3-0 and a long list of accolades to her name. She's a versatile fighter who can win fights with her striking, grappling, or wrestling skills, and she's a master at adapting to her opponent's style. She's got pinpoint accuracy with her strikes, and she's a master at controlling her opponents on the ground.

Alexa Grasso, on the other hand, is a talented striker with a record of 15-3-0. She'll be looking to use her speed and footwork to avoid Shevchenko's power while trying to land some heavy strikes of her own. While Grasso has the potential to pull off an upset, I believe that Shevchenko's experience and skill will prove to be too much for her to handle.

Shevchenko has faced some of the best fighters in the world and has consistently come out on top. She's a master at reading her opponents and exploiting their weaknesses, and she's got the technical skill to back it up. Grasso is a talented fighter, but she simply doesn't have the experience or skillset to match up with Shevchenko.

In this matchup, I believe that Shevchenko will be able to control the pace of the fight and dominate Grasso with her striking and grappling. She'll likely use her wrestling to take Grasso down and control her on the ground, while also looking to land some heavy shots from the top position. Grasso will struggle to keep up with Shevchenko's pace and will likely tire as the fight goes on.

Overall, I predict that Shevchenko will win the fight by unanimous decision, dominating Grasso throughout the five rounds and proving once again why she's one of the best fighters in the world. Her skill, experience, and technical ability are simply too much for Grasso to handle, and she'll emerge victorious as the women's flyweight champion at UFC 285.

Pick: Valentina Shevchenko ML -700

Jon Jones vs. Ciryl Gane

Jon Jones is undoubtedly one of the greatest fighters in the sport, with a record of 26-1-0 and a long list of accolades to his name. He's a versatile fighter who can win fights with his striking, grappling, or wrestling skills, and he's got a knack for adapting to his opponent's style. Jones has incredible reach and is a master at controlling the distance in a fight, making it difficult for his opponents to land clean shots.

Ciryl Gane, meanwhile, is a rising star in the heavyweight division with a record of 11-1-0. He's a skilled striker with good footwork and movement that allows him to avoid his opponent's shots while landing his own. Gane is also a talented grappler, with good wrestling and submission skills that have earned him three submission victories throughout his career.

In this matchup, I believe that Gane has the edge over Jones. While Jones is an incredible fighter, his style has become somewhat predictable over the years, and he's shown some vulnerabilities in recent fights. Gane, on the other hand, is a relatively new fighter who has shown incredible growth and improvement in each of his fights.

I believe that Gane's movement and striking will be the key to victory in this matchup. He'll likely look to use his footwork to avoid Jones' shots and land some heavy strikes of his own. If the fight goes to the ground, Gane's grappling skills will come into play, and he'll be looking to secure a submission victory.

Overall, I predict that Gane will win the fight by unanimous decision, dominating Jones throughout the five rounds and proving once again why he's one of the top fighters in the heavyweight division. While Jones is a formidable opponent, I believe that Gane's skills and movement will prove to be too much for him to handle. In the end, Gane will emerge as the new heavyweight champion at UFC 285.

Pick: Ciryl Gane ML +137

Main Card Parlay: Nickal/Gamrot/Rakhmonov/Shevchenko/Gane +375 odds