Calvin Kattar and Josh Emmett both know there will be no surprises on Saturday when the opening bell rings for their UFC Fight Night: Kattar vs. Emmett main event. Their important showdown highlights the main UFC fight card (7 p.m. ET) from the Moody Center in Austin, Texas. The No. 4-ranked Kattar and No. 7-ranked Emmett are both high-paced strikers who thrive on wearing down their opponents. Both told the media this week they don't expect anything different from each other on Saturday and the winner of the main event will hinge on who is the better man in the Octagon.
Kattar is a -220 favorite ($220 to win $100), while Emmett is offered at +190 (risk $100 to win $190) in the latest UFC Fight Night: Kattar vs. Emmett odds from Caesars Sportsbook. In the co-main event, lightweight veterans take the spotlight when Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone (-170) meets Joe Lauzon (+150). Before locking in any picks of your own for UFC Fight Night: Kattar vs. Emmett, make sure you check out the MMA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine combat expert Andrew Gombas.
With more than 1,400 picks tracked by the third-party monitoring service Bet MMA, he has shown a six percent return on investment for his followers. Over the past two years, his followers have netted a profit of more than $10,000.
Just last week at UFC 275, Gombas swept the board with his main-card picks and the five-fight sweep included advising SportsLine members to back Jake Matthews (+125) against Andre Fialho (-145) in a matchup of welterweight prospects. Matthews dominated from the opening bell and scored a second-round stoppage to provide Gombas' backers with another easy winner. Anyone who has followed Gombas already has seen massive returns.
Now, with UFC Fight Night: Kattar vs. Emmett (see tickets at StubHub) in sight, Gombas has studied the card from every angle and released his top MMA picks. Those picks are only available at SportsLine.
UFC Fight Night: Kattar vs. Emmett preview, guide
The winner of Saturday's main event will gain serious leverage toward a title shot in a featherweight division that is about to see significant movement and clarity. Champion Alexander Volkanovski is headed toward a trilogy against former titleholder Max Holloway next month. What's more, second-ranked Brian Ortega is set to face third-ranked Yair Rodriguez in July. Thus, either Kattar or Emmett will be in line for a title-eliminator at worst and could be chosen to fight for the belt next.
Kattar (23-5) is a five-year UFC veteran who has gone 7-3 in 10 appearances with the promotion while facing upper-tier opponents from the outset. He became well-known to many MMA observers for his resilience in a lopsided loss to Holloway in a main event in January of last year. The 34-year-old Boston native bounced back with a dominant victory over rising Giga Chikadze in January as 2-1 underdog.
Kattar is bound to face plenty of resistance from Emmett (17-2), a six-year UFC veteran who has gone 8-2 in 10 outings against top-shelf opposition. The 37-year-old is coming off a decision victory against rugged veteran Dan Ige last December.
The fighters not only have similar records, but both are known for their durability, fearlessness and high-volume striking. You can only see who to back at UFC Fight Night here.
UFC Fight Night predictions
We'll share one of Gombas' UFC Fight Night predictions here: He is supporting Court McGee (-125) to emerge victorious against Jeremiah Wells (+105) in a matchup of welterweight sluggers.
McGee (21-10) is a 12-year UFC veteran who has shared the Octagon with some of the sport's biggest names while going 9-9 in 18 appearances with the promotion. The 37-year-old's resume includes a 2013 victory over Robert Whittaker, who went on to become the UFC middleweight champion. McGee recently halted a three-fight losing streak and rebounded with consecutive victories.
Wells (10-2), 35, is a versatile fighter who has four knockouts and four submissions among his 10 professional victories. He has won his first UFC fights by stoppage, including a first-round submission of Mike Mathetha in February.
"We know what we are getting with McGee. He has been in the UFC for well over a decade and has the better fundamentals. Down the stretch, I favor McGee big-time. This is a good matchup for him," Gombas told SportsLine.
How to make UFC Fight Night picks
Gombas also has strong picks for Kattar vs. Emmett and other fights on the UFC Fight Night card. He's also backing a fighter who "has been way more active" to cruise to a dominant victory. Those UFC Fight Night picks are only available at SportsLine.
Who wins Kattar vs. Emmett? And what other picks do you need to see? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed top picks on UFC Fight Night, all from the insider who's up more than $10,000 on MMA picks the past two years, and find out.
UFC Fight Night odds, fight card, betting lines
Calvin Kattar (-220) vs. Josh Emmett (+190)
Donald Cerrone (-170) vs. Joe Lauzon (+150)
Kevin Holland (-275) vs. Tim Means (+235)
Jasmin Jasudavicius (-255) vs. Natalia Silva (+215)
Gregory Rodrigues (-170) vs. Julian Marquez (+150)
Cody Stamann (-500) vs. Eddie Wineland (+400)
Gloria De Paula (-250) vs. Maria Oliveira (+210)
Ricardo Ramos (-300) vs. Danny Chavez (+250)
Adrian Yanez (-270) vs. Tony Kelley (+230)
Court McGee (-125) vs. Jeremiah Wells (+105)
Phil Hawes (-280) vs. Deron Winn (+240)
Kyle Daukaus (-250) vs. Roman Dolidze (+210)
Damir Ismagulov (-160) vs. Guram Kutateladze (+140)
Albert Duraev (-240) vs. Joaquin Buckley (+200)